Once again, La Ruta de la Sal has been a sensational event with a huge turnout from the nautical community. A boat race with amazing history that dates back to 1846. Its origins are in Barcelona’s blockage set by the Carlist armies during the “Sailors Revolts” when the salt run scarce endangering the city’s wealth. A known Barcelona businessman had the original idea to call for the most celebrated sailors at the time and present them with a challenge: he would pay their services to transport the salt from the Pitiusan salt flats to El Garraf in Barcelona based on their order of arrival. The first ones to arrive would be paid in gold and the later ones would hardly receive enough to pay their sailor’s wages.

Since then, the growth of La Ruta de la Sal has been exponential, both in number of participants and media coverage. On its own merits, it has become the most attended and iconic regatta of the Spanish agenda, attracting over 2000 yachts men and women every year.

This year, the Barcelona stretch had a minimum distance of approximately 140 nautical miles departing from Port Ginesta (Barcelona) and arriving at Sant Antoni de Portmany in Ibiza. The Denia race went from Denia to Portmany surrounding Ibiza anti-clockwise for a total of 120 nautical miles. Denia was also the starting point for the Mini Sal race, 55 nautical miles from Denia to Sant Antoni de Portmany for the yachts debuting in long distance boat racing.

The 34th Edition of Ruta de la Sal winner of the Barcelona-Sant Antoni Stretch was Rockall IV, Christopher Opielok’s JPK 1030, that covered the 140 miles in just 14:57:27 hours. In the meantime, Clem, Jaime Olazabal’s Swan 56, took the pole position of Denia-Sant Antoni Stretch. A great success given that this was its fourth victory in La Ruta de la Sal, being the only ship winning the iconic race in its three different versions.

This 34^th edition has been specially outstanding given the excellent weather conditions for long distance sailing with strong winds in the West Mediterranean. A constant wind that has allowed many of the ships to break speed records during the timed trials. The performance of Pelotari Project, Andrés Varela’s Vismara 68, was a great example as it achieved a record time of 12:22:10 hours on the 120 miles between Denia and Sant Antoni de Portmany.

La Ruta de la Sal also introduced a new award to innovation that this year went to Jaromir Poepk’s IC36 catamaran Stellar, manufactured by the new brand Independent Catamarans. Its arrival on pole position within the Barcelona fleet was proof to its technological advance and high speed, with a peculiar distribution of weight and a self-sufficient power system driven by solar panels and hydro-generators.

La Ruta de la Sal ended in style with an award ceremony in an awning installed at Passeig de Ses Fonts, followed by a reception dinner for all the participants at the Yacht Club of Sant Antonio de Portmany and a fabulous closing party organised by the Town Hall of Sant Antonio in S’Arenal beach.