Perseverance crowned Race 1 winners at Puerto Sherry Prizegiving Ceremony

12 September 2023

The first Prizegiving ceremony of the 2023-24 edition took place at the Puerto Sherry Marina, with a stunning Spanish sunset and plenty of the local aperitifs to celebrate the achievements of Race 1.

Clipper Race Director, Mark Light, opened the event, handing over to Nicolás Figueras, Director General from Puerto Sherry, for a welcome speech to the crew. Also in attendance was Valle de la Riva, President from Puerto Sherry, Ignacio Gonzalez Nieto, Sport Councillor from Puerto Santa Maria, Germán Beardo, Mayor of Puerto Santa Maria, Mariluz Rivero, Commercial Director and Daniel Martínez Becerra, Port Commodore.

Image: Mark Light

The first award of the evening was the Scoring Gate results. Yacht Club Punta del Este, skippered by Nano Antia Bernardez, took the gamble as the only team to go for the Scoring Gate, initially falling back in the race rankings to pick up the three bonus points.

However, the crew were able to pull back multiple places and finish the overall race in second position. With the additional three points won, this puts the Uruguayan team entry at the top of the leaderboard for Race 1.

Next, it was time to present the pennants for the podium teams, with Valle de la Riva, President of Puerto Sherry, awarding the top three teams with their pennants.

First to take to the stage was third-placed UNICEF, led by Skipper Dan Bodey and AQP Laura Hampton. Elisa Reiterer, 31, from Northern Italy said: "I'm exhausted, excited, exhasperated and exhilerated, I can't wait to go sailing again!"

Image: UNICEF

In second place was Yacht Club Punta del Este, led by Skipper Nano Antia Bernardez and AQP Angus Whitehead. The team, known for bringing the energy, jumped on stage with a loud ‘Vamos Punta!’ and received their pennants.

Image: Angus Whitehead and Nano Antia

Image: Yacht Club Punta del Este in second place

Finally, it was time for the winning team of the first race of this epic circumnavigation to have its moment on stage. Perseverance placed first after a strong lead throughout the whole race, and Skipper Ineke Van Der Weijden, AQP Joss Creswell and the crew celebrated their victory on stage.

Images above and below: Perseverance crowned Race 1 champions

After the official awards ceremony wrapped, it was time for the crew, staff and supporters to enjoy some well-deserved local Paella, served up with some cold drinks and a special Flamenco performance to start the fiesta.