The event, presented on Tuesday at El Corte Inglés in Vigo, was attended by Pati Blanco, Communications and Institutional Relations Director for El Corte Inglés in Galicia and Asturias, Daniel Arosa, Social Services, Sports and Youth Councillor for Sanxenxo Town Hall, Manuel Villaverde, President of Galicia’s Royal Sailing Federation, and Pedro Campos, President of the Real Club Náutico in Sanxenxo
Friday, 10th September, will see the first day of competition in the Ría de Pontevedra with thirty teams representing eleven countries
On Tuesday morning, El Corte Inglés in Vigo hosted the official presentation of the new edition of the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta. The event, to be held on the waters of Sanxenxo, will see 31 teams from the 6-Metre fleet come together to compete for the Spanish Championship title, along with students from the National Centre for Adaptive Sailing in the Pontevedra club.
The presentation was attended by Pati Blanco, Communications and Institutional Relations Director for El Corte Inglés in Galicia and Asturias, Pedro Campos, President of the Real Club Náutico in Sanxenxo (RCNS), Daniel Arosa, Social Services, Sports and Youth Councillor for Sanxenxo Town Hall, and Manuel Villaverde, President of the Galician Royal Sailing Federation.
Pati Blanco opened the act by thanking the institutions supporting the event, alongside the RCNS for organising one of the most long-awaited regattas in the calendar, and the media for their coverage of the competition. Blanco wished to highlight,
“Following the parenthesis of last year, to be present once again in the competition, and this particular regatta, a true landmark, we feel it is a truly special moment, since in a certain way we feel it stands for an evolution moving forwards.”
“El Corte Inglés very much identifies with the values represented by this regatta. We truly hope that we can look forward to the most favourable sailing conditions, whilst knowing that we have the guarantee of undertaking the competition with all the necessary prevention measures for Covid-19.”
In his presentation Pedro Campos explained,
“Several years ago, when Sanxenxo became an international world sailing hub at the European and World Championships, we realised that the closeness in dates would enable us to celebrate the event immediately after the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta. In this edition, we will see over 30 boats representing eleven countries, completely unprecedented and as such, has led us to focus on the 6-Metre and Adapted Sailing classes.”
© María Muiña / Regata Rey Juan Carlos I
As might be expected, and as Campos was clear to highlight, the regatta is to be held under strict protocol and all necessary measures for Covid-19, including the availability of PCR and antigen testing close to the club, with the cooperation of a team from Quironprevención.
“At an organizational level this has been vital. We have gone to great lengths to prepare for the event and signed a collaboration agreement with Quironprevención for direct assistance during the regatta,” he assured.
Daniel Arosa concluded the presentations by encouraging sailing fans to head to Sanxenxo,
“The event promises to be a true show. At Sanxenxo Town Council we are really proud to be able to host events of such magnitude and are always delighted to support the sport of sailing.”
Day One on Friday
The sixth edition of the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta will include three days of competition for the 6-Metre fleet, which will begin competing on Friday at 14:00h with the first races in the Ría de Pontevedra. The 31 registered teams will complete up to six races, due to decide not only the winner of the event itself, but also the Spanish Championships for the class in both Classics and Open divisions.
As was confirmed on Tuesday by the President of the RCNS at the press conference, the event will also host students from the National Adapted Sailing Centre in the Pontevedra Sailing Club, representing their first official event since the pandemic.