- From the 13th to the 19th July, vessels from all over the world will dock at the Catalan capital to participate in the VII Edition of the Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta and the Puig 12M World Championship, organized on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary Puig
- The city will show off, for the first time, two regattas with legendary sailboats and authentic artwork of naval architecture, such as the Moonbeam III and IV, the Islander or mythical 12M category sailboats, such as Vim or Nyala
Barcelona, 3rd July 2014. The VII Edition of the Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta and the 12M category World Championship have been presented this morning in the Barcelona City Hall. The event was attended by His Excellency Xavier Trias, the Mayor of Barcelona; the Mayor Deputy of the Welfare, Equality and Sports Area, Maite Fandos; the President of the Real Club Náutico of Barcelona, Enrique Corominas; the Vice-president of the Southern Europe Fleet of the ITMA, Luigi Lang; and the President of Puig, Marc Puig.
A week before its celebration, the city is already ready for the new edition of one of the most anticipated events of the season, which will bring together the most important boats and sailors from the classic nautical world. As a novelty and to celebrate the 100th anniversary, Puig, the event organizer, has prepared for this year a new regatta which is unavoidable for sea lovers: the 12M category World Championship.
This competition will start on the 13th of July, while the Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta will start the 16th of this same month. Both sports events will end on the Saturday 19th, closing day of an exceptional week where the coast of Barcelona will get together for the first time more than 60 nautical jewelries.
Protagonists Interventions
The presentation has been opened by the President of the Real Club Náutico of Barcelona (RCNB), Enrique Corominas, inviting “the whole nautical family to attend this exceptional event in Barcelona.”
In words of Commodore from the RCNB, Damián Ribas, referring to the sports area, “the improvement in the boats quality taking part of this edition, in both the 12 meters World Championship and the Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica, thus consolidate this current one as the best classic sailing regatta in the Mediterranean in 2014.”
Marc Puig, the President of Puig, added: “With this celebration of our 100th anniversary, we reconfirm the commitment of Puig with Barcelona and the sailing world. This event is a real occasion to show, in an international frame, the projection of the city and our company through a unique show”. In conclusion, he expressed “the gratitude of Puig to the Barcelona City Council, which has shown us its closeness in a special way, in such an important year for us”.
The closing event corresponded to His Excellency, Xavier Trias, the Mayor of Barcelona, which highlighted “the support of the civil society to Barcelona through such a magnificent example as that one from Puig and its classic sailing regattas”. The Mayor said that “the main natural treasure of Barcelona is the sea and it is a unique source of wealth to the Catalan capital, as well as the best way to show a single image of quality to the rest of the world”.
Two premier sailing competitions steeped in history
Many of the participating boats have decided to repeat this Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta, animated by the magnificent features of the Mediterranean coast and the high level of competition. This is shown by the success of participation with about fifty sailboats from our country, but also from other parts of the world such as France, England, Italy, Malta, Germany, Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland or the United States. Some boats as the Malabar X, the Blue Peter or the Moonbeam III and IV repeat and will also be present in this new edition.
The Puig 12M World Championship will also bring together about 15 boats from eight different countries: USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Argentina, Portugal and Italy. They will all compete with boats so representative as the Vim, the Ikra, the Nyala or the Vanity V. This internationally recognized fleet, which has played a significant role in the development of sports regattas in the XX century, was the main protagonist of one of the greatest radiant times of the America’s Cup, which took place within the period of the late 50s and the 80s.
Barcelona, the epicenter of the international classic nautical
For six years, Puig has helped Barcelona to win again its recognition among the Mediterranean nautical capitals that host prestigious international competitions. The VII edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona Regatta is one of the few opportunities that exist (during the year and in the entire world) to see the performance of “historical and cultural” pieces that are usually only accessible to few privileged. Moreover, the combination of the Puig regatta with the 12M World Championship offer a unique show in the world that serve to commemorate the 100 years of existence of the company and its passion and commitment with the Catalan capital.
There is no other city in the world that hosts classic boats regattas as unique as those that will be seen in Barcelona. Among that first line of dreamt destinations where classic sailing events are celebrated (Antigua, Antibes, Newport, Wight Isle, Cannes …) only one of them is a capital with such an importance and international significance: Barcelona.
Similarly, the timing chosen for the regattas for this 2014, from the 13th to the 19th of July, is identified as the most suitable one for the celebration of these sports events in Barcelona, given that the vast majority of classic sailboats from the Mediterranean coasts are immersed in upgraded water circuits.
A walk through the nautical history in categories
In this VII Edition of the Regatta there are three different categories, depending on the design, age and size of the yachts:
- Vintage Boats: Boats built in wood or metal, launched the 31st of December 1949.
- Classic Boats: Built in wood or metal in accordance with the original plans and launched between the 1st of January 1950 and the 31st of December 1975
- Big Boats Boat: Vintage and Classic boats with lengths from 25 meters.
Besides, the 12M boats are organized in five categories: Grand Prix, Modern, Traditional, Vintage and Antique, which are generally subdivided into:
- Vintage (Vintage & Antique): sailboats built before the Second World War, with wooden hull and a luxurious interior equipped with cabins, lounge, kitchen and toilet.
- Modern (Grand Prix, Modern & Traditional): specifically built after 1958 for the America’s Cup, thanks to a change in the rules of the competition. From that date, the latest technologies and materials of the time began to be used.
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