Fast and challenging: the Armada Cup crowns Jaleo and returns in 2028
- The VII edition of the Armada Cup – Plymouth – Donostia / San Sebastián – Vicente Munilla Memorial has brought back the only offshore race on Spain’s entire Cantabrian coast, 30 years after its last edition.
- Fifteen boats and more than 80 sailors took part in the 460-nautical-mile crossing from Plymouth to San Sebastián.
- Jaleo, of the Real Club Marítimo del Abra-Real Sporting Club, won the overall Armada Cup 2026 Grand Prize.
- The VIII edition will start on 5 July 2028, this time departing from Donostia / San Sebastián towards Plymouth.
Donostia / San Sebastián, 25 July 2026. The Armada Cup – Plymouth – Donostia / San Sebastián – Vicente Munilla Memorial has successfully completed its VII edition, marking the return of a historic international offshore race 30 years after its last running. Organised by the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián and the Royal Western Yacht Club of England, the regatta once again linked the two twin cities of Plymouth and San Sebastián, connected by a twinning agreement signed in 1984.
The race
The fleet set sail from Plymouth (United Kingdom) on Saturday 18 July on a 460-nautical-mile offshore crossing through the English Channel. Fifteen boats and more than 80 sailors — from the Basque Country, other Spanish regions and countries including France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom — took the start. The course led the fleet across the Channel, leaving the island of Ouessant to port at 124 miles and the Chaussée de Sein 24 miles to the south, before heading into the Bay of Biscay towards San Sebastián.
The regatta proved fast and challenging. It began with gentle southwesterly winds of 8 to 12 knots, but conditions toughened considerably from the Chaussée de Sein and the entrance to the Bay of Biscay, with northeasterly winds of 25 to 35 knots that held for more than thirty hours. Every boat crossed the finish line within a window of just 24 hours between the first and last arrival, with the fleet reaching San Sebastián between 20 and 21 July.
The PH3, of the Dutch club Kr&Zv De Maas and skippered by Austin Van’t Wout, was the first boat to cross the finish line. However, as the race was run under the IRC system, final positions were determined once each boat’s rating had been applied.
The results
Jaleo, of the Real Club Marítimo del Abra-Real Sporting Club and skippered by Gonzalo Chávarri, won the overall classification and IRC Division 1. The Camborio Uno, of the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián and skippered by Edurne Berrueta, finished second overall and won IRC Division 2. The PH3 completed the overall podium.
Homage and prize-giving
On 23 July, the bay of San Sebastián hosted an official salute and homage to the participating crews, with the presence of the Spanish Navy vessel Carnota, accompanied by young dinghy sailors from the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián and boats from the local Gipuzkoan fleet.
The prize-giving ceremony took place on 25 July at San Sebastián City Hall. The Armada Cup 2026 Grand Prize was awarded to the Jaleo by the Mayor of Donostia / San Sebastián, Jon Insausti, together with the President of the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián, Pío Aguirre, and the Commodore of the Royal Western Yacht Club, Chris Arscott.
Several special prizes were also presented: the “Vicente Munilla” Sportsmanship Award to Germán Agúndez, of the Sagartxo IV (RCNSS); the EKP Generational Relay Award to the Mirua (RCNSS); and the award for the first woman in the overall classification, presented by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, to Carmen Galdós, of the Jaleo.
Looking ahead to 2028
At the close of the ceremony, the President of the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián announced the next edition: the VIII Armada Cup – Donostia / San Sebastián – Plymouth, which will start on 5 July 2028, this time departing from San Sebastián towards Plymouth. The regatta thus maintains its biennial format and its alternating start between the two twin cities.
The Armada Cup is organised by the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián and the Royal Western Yacht Club of England. The International Regatta Ciudad San Sebastián – Vicente Munilla Memorial acts as co-organiser, and the event is supported by the City Council of Donostia / San Sebastián, Donostia Kirola, the Basque Sailing Ports (EKP) and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.
