Soto 40 World Championship starts tomorrow in Valencia

All set at the 2014 Soto 40 worlds © Matias Capizzano / www.capizzano.com

The second World Championship of the Soto 40 International Class will start tomorrow at the Marina Real Juan Carlos I (Valencia, Spain), where eight boats of seven countries will be fighting for the title of the Class.

The competition will be held on July 6-12 and the boats that will be competing are Alegre (IVB), Bigamist (POR), Earlybird (GER), Glen Ellen XXII (FRA), Ngoni (GBR), Noticia IV (ESP) and Uon (POR). Some of the best and more experienced sailors will be sailing in Valencia waters, including some Olympic medalists like Nuno Barreto and Hugo Rocha, winners of the bronze medal in 470 in Atlanta '96, and John Kostecki, silver medal in Soling in 1988.

Ignacio Triay, President of the European Soto 40 Association, predicted: "I think this will be a world championship in which we won't meet the winner until the last day. I think we'll have lots of leaderships and many changes in the overall leaderboard. Not having one or two teams cleaning out the others is a plus for the competition, otherwise it would be boring. I think this will be a fight until the last day, and I wish I'm right. And the sailing world in Europe will notice it".

In addition, the Technical team is first-level. The Principal Race Officer is María Torrijo, International Judge and Umpire. The Jury will be presided by the Spanish Andrés Pérez (International Judge) while the Portuguese Miguel Allen (International Judge and Umpire) will be Chief Umpire. The rest of the Jury will be formed by the Argentinean Flavio Naveira (International Judge and Umpire), the British Sally Burnett (International Judge and Umpire) and the Spanish Ricardo García (International Judge and Race Officer). Pablo Ferrer, Chief Measurer of the International Soto 40 Class, will be in charge of measuring.

"I'm sure that the Race Committee, with María Torrijo, will be excellent, and the only thing we can expect now is to have a nice forecast. If the weather is like it should be in summer and we have nice sea breezes of 15-20 knots, it will be a pleasure to sail there. I think the place (the Marina Real Juan Carlos I, place that host two America's Cup editions) is ideal, considering the mooring and the race area. I think we've chosen a good place in Spain to make this championship and now we have to wait", said Ignacio.

The activity will start tomorrow with the inspection and measuring of the boats, while first races of the event are scheduled on Tuesday at 1 pm. The schedule includes of 10 races, with a maximum of three races per day.

Schedule:

• Sunday 6: All boats moored at their designated spaces. Measurement & inspections. Registration (09.00 h – 19.00 h)
• Monday 7: Measurement & inspections. Registration (09.00 h – 19.00 h). Practice Race (13.00 h). Skippers briefing (17.30 h). Welcome Cocktail (tbd)
• Tuesday 8: Races W/L (13.00 h)
• Wednesday 9: Races W/L (13.00 h)
• Thursday 10: Races W/L (13.00 h)
• Friday 11: Races W/L (13.00 h)
• Saturday 12: Races W/L (13.00 h). Prize Giving Ceremony (tbd)