Where do all the TPs go?.

I was surprised to come across a bunch of TP 52s in Lanzarote this week, well south of their more familiar Mediterranean playground. Five of them had been shipped to the island following the end of the Breitling MedCup for the 5th running of the Trofeo Cesar Manrique Puerto Calero, a regatta which attracts some 70 yachts and is one of Spain’s biggest. There could have been seven had not the king of Spain’s Bribon been T-boned by Stewart Robinson’s Santa Ana Stay Calm in Ibizia.
Jose Calero Rodriquez is the man behind the regatta and indeed the man behind Puerto Calero, an expanding and extremely well appointed marina which over 20 years he has developed from absolutely nothing.
A bit of black barren volcanic coastal wasteland has been transformed into an oasis of greenery, tasteful real estate, a couple of top notch hotels and spas, cracking restaurants and bars and the marina itself which has recently been expanded to accommodate more superyachts. There’s a new Euros 8 million yacht club about to be built and it’s the only marina development I’ve ever come across with its own excellent art gallery (lots of local budding Cesar Manriques being exhibited) and a museum dedicated to the teeming sea life for which Lanzarote and the Canaries are famed. It’s an extraordinarily comfortable and friendly place and the sailing just off the marina, especially in the autumn, is mouth watering.
But back to the TPs?Paul Anderson who was looking after Rainer Wilhelm’s Luca Brenta designed C-Quadrat Astro said they’d had excellent racing in the tradewinds which bless this part of the world. “We had 12 to 18 knots over the five days with one coastal race and five windward leewards,” said Paul who likened the conditions to the old days of the Kenwood Cup in Hawaii! He said they’re keen to investigate an overnight distance race. How about round the island I suggested – ‘errr, we’d finish that in 12 hours,’ Paul explained politely! OK, twice round.
Jose Calero funded the shipping of the fleet and he’s going to do it again next year after the TP Global Championships in Sardinia which could attract at least 30 boats. If he got 10 boats down to Lanzarote he’d be pleased. One got the feeling the fleet liked in down in Lanzarote – laid back, sublime conditions and a very pleasant venue?

Watch out for more on Puerto Calero’s new superyacht facilities in an upcoming issue of Yachting World