The ‘Sotera’ is the king of regularity. If one bad day Hondarribia overwhelms you, the next the thorn is removed, to leave weekend after weekend things almost as they were. It is true that the green ones are stalking them more and more, but the Biscayan people are not getting nervous. He overwhelmed all the competitors at home this Sunday, in the XLII Ikurriña de Santurtzi, and once again strengthened his clear leadership at the head of the most important drifter league.
The purple boat returned the blow that Hondarribia, its main rival, dealt it on Saturday in the Bilbao time trial, achieving an incontestable victory in the peculiar regatta field at the mouth of the Bilbao estuary. He quickly caught the bow of the regatta on 4th street and, although the ‘Ama Guadalupekoa’ seemed to argue with him the victory in the third pitch with the boats fleeing from the central part of the course, the purple ones left irremediably in the last pitch to achieve the triumph with a time of 19 minutes, 32 seconds and 72 hundredths.
Behind, Hondarribia was also clear second in the run of honor 11 seconds behind Santurtzi, although very rushed by Donostiarra’s time. The San Sebastián drifter was the winner of the second round with a time only 56 hundredths worse than the greens and third overall in the regatta.
Zierbena, well yesterday in Bilbao after not being able to row the previous weekend due to COVID cases, sank in the round of honor to the point of finishing eighth of the day just ahead of the last of the first round, Zarautz, and the last two of the second, Cabo and Tiran. This weekend the one that could not row due to the covid has been Lekittarra, who has added four points in each of the two regattas.
The third Galician drifter, Ares, was one of the great beneficiaries of the day, as she finished sixth in the aggregate after winning the first batch after coming back in the last quarter to an Ondarroa that finished seventh. Although he closed the second round, Tirán increased a point of advantage over the bottom Zarautz, who is now seven, in their fight to avoid direct descent.
In that second round, sparks flew in the fight for the victory between Donostiarra and Bermeo. To the point that Bermeo was sanctioned with 3 seconds for what seemed like a clash of blades between the two in the street of Donostiarra. He was punished for interfering. There was not everything, since the sea judge, Ruth Moneo ordered Orio to turn to row in the third pitch to the Hondarribia Ubera through the hypothetical street zero, something usual if there is enough distance. A subjective interpretation of the judge, because there were five seconds of difference. Salsamendi, the harrier technician, was furious and, beside himself, he even went to the judges’ rostrum on the ground. They took out the blue warning flag.
At the halfway point of the Eusko Label League, which will move to Galicia next weekend, Santurtzi’s third victory gives Sotera five points ahead of Hondarribia and 18 over Zierbena, third and seems out of a fight for the title that seems like a thing of two.
In the Eusko Label Liga feminine, the Guipuzcoan boat of Arraun Lagunak has also prevailed in the XLII Ikurriña de Santurtzi and caresses the title in the absence of only two regattas to be contested. This tenth scoring event has been contested in the waters of the Ría on a somewhat longer route than usual, with four pitches and three ropes instead of the two lengths with a robe that is customary.
Although he came in second position to the first turn, behind Orio, Arraun took the bow of the race in the second pitch to clearly prevail for the second time in Biscayan waters this weekend with a time of 13 minutes, 07 seconds, 90 hundredths.
The winning boat reached the finish line seven and eight seconds ahead of the second and third classified, which were Orio, penalized for a flip-flop maneuver, and Donostiarra. Very off the hook, half a minute, Hondarribia closed the race.
With this victory, the sixth in the league so far, Arraun leads Orio by two points, an appreciable distance in a competition that is almost being a duel between both boats.
Behind, Hondarribia seems definitely bottom and doomed to the relegation playoff, already six points behind a Donostiarra that on the water is increasingly in the fight with the first two.
Classification of the XLII Ikurriña de Santurtzi:
1. Santurtzi 19.32: 72
2. Hondarribia 19.43: 96
3. Donostiarra 19.44: 52
4. Orio 19.49: 36
5. Bermeo Urdaibai 19:49:84 3 “penalty
6. Ares 19.57: 76
7. Ondarroa 20.01: 40
8. Zierbena 20.03.34
9. Cabo da Cruz 20.05: 48
10. Tiran 20.18: 06
11. Zarautz 20.24: 24
* Lekittarra did not participate in the regatta, as had already happened to him
Saturday in Bilbao, after detecting two positive cases due to covid in his
template. Still, the drifter from Lekeitio has 4 points.
* Bermeo Urdaibai was sanctioned with 3 seconds for what seemed
a clash of blades with Donostiarra in the second round.
Eusko Label League Classification (10/20):
1. Santurtzi 106 points
2. Hondarribia 101
3. Zierbena 88
4. Orio 86
5. Donostiarra 84
6. Bermeo Urdaibai 77
7. Ondarroa 56
8. Cabo da Cruz 56
9. Ares 46
10. Lekittarra 43
11. Tiran 33
12. Zarautz 26
Classification of the XLII Ikurriña de Santurtzi female
1. Arraun Lagunak 13.07: 90
2. Orio 13.13: 92
3. Donostiarra 13.14: 84
4. Hondarribia 13.37: 86
Classification of the Euskotren League (10/12)
1. Arraun Lagunak 33 points
2. Orio 31
3. Donostiarra 21
4. Hondarribia 15
source https://pledgetimes.com/santurtzi-the-king-of-regularity/
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