RBI diary. Day 4

Tuesday, July 9, at Regatta started with business-breakfast. Not everyone got to it, because many people were dancing till dawn at the local disco club Tito 's. «The most important» party-goers did show up for breakfast, though they only slept for a couple of hours each. Yachtsmen are, after all, the most resilient people!

The breakfast was opened by Anna Ratnikova, PR Manager for OPIN, the general sponsor of the regatta. Anna spoke about OPIN's new project, «Rublevo Residences». It is a low-rise apartment complex of business class, which is being built on the bank of the Moscow River, one kilometer away from the MKAD along the Novaya Riga (next to the famous to all Moscow yachtsmen «Shore House» and Rublevsky Beach). Then Pavel Rodin, managing partner of BEST-Novostroy, shared the secrets of investing in new buildings of more liquid mass segment. The idea is to win not on finished property value growth (Pavel honestly admits that their models imply inflation level market growth), but on the price difference at construction stage. If you invest even before obtaining a permit, you can get 30-40% per annum.

Then Irina Naumova, deputy general director of«NDV Real Estate» spoke about the projects of her company. It is worth mentioning the original decision to make a complex of «bachelor» studios-apartments of minimum area for a minimum price in Tsaritsyno. The market showed that these proposals are very liquid.

At one point I was overwhelmed with pride at such a concentration of smart developers, especially since all these people are racing in the same boat #4.

Next, the plan was an itinerary race: i.e. going «who is fastest» from point P (Palma) to point, A (Adriano). The intention was that the participants would not hang their tongues, scurry from side to side and turn corners, but would come to one correct tack and quietly reach the port of Adriano. No way! All the same, we had to run, because no one was going to give up the race without a fight. First, the boat #7 in the first division got a false start (apparently, it was too tight business breakfast). They didn't hear the judges on the radio and found out about their mistake only 3 hours later, when it was too late to correct it.

«In the second division, No. 4 got off on a false start, but they immediately», making a 360-degree turn and passing the start line again. The boat practically did not move for over a minute.

The race to Port Adriano around the southwest cape proceeded in a weakening wind. Towards the end it subsided so much that we had to shorten the distance and take an early finish. There were no revelations with the results: the teams of Arbuzov, Nikiforov and Zhbankov again came in first and firmly established themselves as leaders of their respective divisions.

The organisers had an unpleasant surprise. It turned out that there were no reserved places for RBI yachts in Adriano marina. The participants had a choice: either to anchor or go to the next port Andratx (another hour and a half of crossing under the engine).

As a result, our false starters, boats #7 and #4, decided to go to the next port. The crew of the boat #6 «Primavera», booked in advance, individually, mooring in Adriano and calmly stood on the central pier.

The others had to moor in three boards («in three duckboards», as dispatchers of locks of the Moscow Channel like to say) near the filling station, or to stand on an anchor and go ashore on «tuziki». It was especially fun for the girls dressed up for the evening reception.

But no one was particularly upset, as it was quite in the style familiar to all yachtsmen of light slackness.

The evening ended with a lobster-party at Terrasa restaurant with a gorgeous view of the bay.

The next day is a lazy one: there will be no racing. We will have the opportunity to have a good look at the new marina in Port Adriano, designed by Philippe Starck, as well as the megayacht «The Maltese Falcon»which is now parked there in the harbor. We also have a look at the local golf clubs and wineries. We don't want to speak about the sea for a while.