- Vintage boats like the Italian Emilia Prima (which belonged to the famous Agnelli family), Arosa (owned by the Spanish Navy) and La Spina (Italy’s first officially registered 12-meter ship, dating back to 1929) will be among this year’s fleet
- The classic ships Ojala II (GB), Dune (FR) and Kahurangi (SPA) will also be making their first appearance
- Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona regatta will award a commemorative trophy this year in honor of the 500-year anniversary of the Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation
For the twelfth consecutive year, the shores of Barcelona will once again witness one of the high seas’ most exciting duels between the world’s finest nautical gems. The countdown has begun for the 12th edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona regatta, which will take place from July 10 to 13, and all the forecasts predict that the numbers will exceed the previous year, with a total of 45 participating vessels.
This year, seven classic sailboats will make their debut, including the Black Swan, a Big Boat measuring more than 33 meters built in the late 19th century, as well as Vintage ships like the Arosa, owned by the Spanish Navy, and La Spina, Italy’s first registered 12-meter sailboat, as well as the Emilia Prima (1930), which once belonged to the Agnelli dynasty.
This will also be the first appearance for certain classic sailboats such as the UK’s Ojala II, France’s Dune and Spain’s Kahurangi, whose name means “precious possession” in its native Maori language -for many years it was the flagship of the Yates Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, one of the world’s leading yacht clubs-.
This genuine floating museum, which can be enjoyed from Barcelona’s marina during the second week of July, will be rounded out by a host of vessels that have been loyal to the Puig Vela Clàssica regatta since the very beginning and have confirmed their presence again this year: the Big Boats Moonbeam III and Hallowe’en; the Classics Yanira and Guia; Vintage yachts including the Islander and Niña Luisita; as well as last year’s winners of the Gaff Cutter category, Marigan and Freda, among other fabulous nautical treasures.
The Barcelona Royal Yacht Club (RCNB) will once again be the meeting point, from July 10 to 13, for more than 500 sailors from the four corners of the globe, including Argentina, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the UK and Uruguay. The RCNB recently renovated its facilities, enhancing the club’s unique character while upholding its 100-year-old traditions and spirit.
The Puig Vela Clàssica regatta will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s remarkable world tour
In September 1519, an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan and financed by the Spanish crown set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with the aim of opening a Western trade route to the spice islands by finding a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Captained by Juan Sebastián Elcano upon returning to Spain in 1522, the Magellan-Elcano expedition was the first global circumnavigation in the history of sailing.
2019 is the first of four years during which the Spanish Navy has organized commemorative events in honor of the 500th anniversary of the first round-the-world voyage. To celebrate this historic moment, the Juan Sebastián de Elcano Trophy was created and 80 busts of the Basque sailor will be awarded at various regattas throughout Spain over the next two years.
The Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona regatta is joining in this commemoration by awarding this prize to one of this year’s competing ships at the award ceremony on Saturday, July 13.
In addition to being an official event in the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation’s calendar and counting towards the 2019 Spanish National Championship of Classic and Vintage Yachts and the 8th Mare Nostrum Trophy, the 12th edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona regatta is a unique showcase guaranteed to delight Barcelona’s tourists and locals alike during the second week of July.
List of participants: https://www.puigvelaclassica.com/entries/
More information: puigvelaclassicabarcelona.com
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