Part of the Spanish teams Nautivela, Hermanos Guasch and Marina Center (Photo Jordi Gómez)

Port du Crousty has hosted the seventh edition of this fishing contest in which 120 teams from more than 20 countries have participated. The Spanish representation has achieved a prominent classification, and the eight teams displaced from all over the Spanish geography have very successfully valued the competition and its development.

More than 120 teams, or even more than 500 athletes, coming from all over the world, have played the 7th edition of the Barracuda Tour, a reference in the high competition of fishing from boat in Europe in the Captura and Salta mode. In addition to the sports aspect, the Barracuda Tour arouses a great interest in the festive and healthy camaraderie environment in which it develops.

The competition has started with the Challenge Amateurs, the first weekend, from 10 to 12 May. In the course of these first days, all the registered have faced in teams of three people, on board the Barracuda ships made available to the championship by its manufacturer, Beneteau.

On this occasion the Catalan crew, of the Nautivela team, has won the Challenge Amateurs and has qualified to play the great final of the Barracuda Tour. The winning team was made up of David Juanola, Principi Hereu and Jordi Carreras.

(Photo Jordi Gómez)

From Wednesday and for four days, collaborators, winners of the Amateurs Challenge, registered Barracuda owners and winners of the "Selective Tour" previously organized by Beneteau dealers, have taken part in this intense competition.

On Wednesday afternoon, participants were welcomed and the material given by the sponsors was distributed. All the teams would fish with three DaiWA rods and reels and the lures were ceded by the FIIISH and DaiWA brands. The company NAVIONICS left each team the navigation letters of the area.

The 120 teams involved were divided into two groups of 60. Some would fish in the morning and some in the afternoon. Four fishing areas were established, to be determined before the start of each sleeve, depending on the weather.

All the pieces should be returned to the water with life. The Lubina, the main protagonist of this competition, was to have a minimum size of 42 cm. All marine species scored, but only the first captured specimen of each species.

With the bases, gifts and fishing material already delivered, a cocktail was served to welcome the participants, in the great tent installed for this purpose in the "village," where all the meals would be served during the championship.

Some of the catches of the Navionics team in the last manga of the competition (Photo Jordi Gómez)

At six and a half in the morning the breakfast was beginning to be served and at seven and a half hours the ships were being taken out. And fishing until twelve and a half hours, when the lines were being set up and turned to port.

On the ground, at 12: 00 the meals for the afternoon group, which took the exit at 1: 30 p.m. and were fishing until 5: 30 p.m., when the lines were raised and returned to port.

The weather was good on the first day and so was the fishing. Although, of course, not all the teams had the same fortune. Already on the ground, in the afternoon, camaraderie atmosphere both in the pants, and then in the "beer time" and at dinner.

On Friday, the second day of fishing, at first hour the athletes found the provisional classifications set out in the TOA. But it was just the beginning of the contest. It was a lot ahead.

After breakfast, the ships of the first group took their way out. And after lunch, the ships of the second group took off. The fishing areas were alternated along the sleeves, to try to ensure that all participants were on equal terms during the competition.

The second day was very similar to the first day, both in the climatology, in the catches and in the atmosphere of fraternization that was lived in general. After the "beer time" and dinner in the tent the teams retreated to rest for the last and final day, different from the previous ones in the approach to their development.

All marine species were 10 points (Photo Jordi Gómez)

On Saturday morning at breakfast time, the contestants met with the classifications hung on the TOA. According to the results obtained during Thursday and Friday, the 120 participating teams were grouped in ORO AND PLATA. Those in the first group were those who had the option to the absolute final triumph.

The Silver group would fight for victory in their category. The swords were in the air, although the two NAVIONICS teams, one in the Oro group and the other in the Silver group were very well located. We had been invited to participate in the Barracuda Tour by NAVIONICS and were very excited to share with them the honey of triumph, if we finally achieved it.

In the morning the Navionics team of the Silver group obtained several good-sized lubines, although nothing could be said until the end, as the computer of the points was raging.

In the afternoon we embarked with the Navionics team of the group Oro and just give the start signal, "Water Cañas," they managed to fish two lubines of more than 50 cm. The tension was very large and even though no more lubines appeared, maragotas and fanecas were exalted.

The weather was getting worse and the afternoon ended with wind and rain back to the port, although with all the equipment satisfied with the result of the last manga of the contest.

Award for the ATM team (Photo Jordi Gómez)

When we got to port everything was conjectures about the final classification and about how we would have left. About eight o'clock, before dinner, the result was revealed. The two NAVIONICS teams had won the first place in their respective groups. There could be no better brooch for an international competition of the highest level like the BARRACUDA TOUR 2019.

A report by Jordi Gómez