The Polish state-run yacht triumphed in the IRC class, taking just 24 hours, 38 minutes and 50 seconds to complete the 240 nautical miles of the offshore route, news outlets reported on Thursday.
Skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, I Love Poland crossed the finish line more than 15 hours ahead of the second-placed sailboat in its class, according to Polish state news agency PAP.
The La Larga Offshore Race, a prologue to the PalmaVela yachting event, begins and ends in Palma de Mallorca, according to officials.
It runs around Mallorca and Menorca as well as the smaller islands of El Toro, Isla del Aire and the Cabrera Archipelago, the PAP news agency reported.
I Love Poland wins again
Marcin Zarzecki, CEO of the state-run Polish National Foundation (PFN), which owns I Love Poland, thanked the skipper and crew for “another victory this season” and wished them further success.
He told reporters: “In recent years, Poland has enjoyed a series of victories in ocean regattas. The triumphs of PFN’s yacht have become a feature of the I Love Poland campaign to promote Poland.”
Zarzecki added: “It’s amazing that such a complex experiment and an attempt to transcend formulaic messaging about Polish pride and Polish history are producing such results.”
He described the I Love Poland yacht as “a unique project that above all promotes Poland, but also Polish ocean yachting.”
Launched in 2020, I Love Poland features Polish internationals, including world and European champions, among crew members, officials said.
This season, the promotional boat has already won the RORC Transatlantic Race and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in the Lesser Antilles, as well as coming second in the RORC Caribbean 600 race, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Sail-World, palmavela.com