Women lead J/80 Campeonato de Espana at Real Club Marítimo de Santander
by J/Boats 18 Jun 2019 10:24 BST
J/80 Campeonato de Espana at Real Club Marítimo de Santander © Real Club Martimo de Santander
The Spanish J/80 Championship that takes place in Santander shows the evolution of the women's sailing in both Spain and Europe; with five women's teams among the forty-three participants.
The J/80 class is widely known for the large number of women sailors that participate in the class, either as members of mixed or totally women crews.
The Real Club Marítimo de Santander, cradle of great international sailors and possessor of one of the most powerful fleets of J/80's in Spain, faces the challenge of organizing the thirteenth edition of the Spanish J/80 Championship.
"The J/80 class is the perfect showcase and clear example of the increase and presence of women's participation in sailing. The number of women in mixed and female teams has always been high, but in this Spanish Championship we undoubtedly beat all the records; I believe that there is not a one-design class where the participation of the women has been so wide and example of parity," commented Alex Diaz, President of the J/80 Class Association.
Exclusively women crews, from Catalonia, the Basque Country and Santander, will compose five of the 43 participating teams. Those teams include Leticia Gandarias' AVE FENIX; Julia Casanueva is the owner of GENERALE OPTICA; Carlota Massana skippers DORSIA SAILING TEAM; Olatz Muñoz is sailing DECOEXSA; and Lourdes Bilbao is leading PINTACODA.
The regatta is a "de facto" Pre-Worlds for the J/80 World Championship that will be sailed in one month's time in Getxo (Basque Country). That is why so many of the top Spanish teams are participating, as well as a few top European teams.
The Spanish teams are notorious for being at the top of the J/80 class. World Champions such as the Cantabrian José María Torcida with his "Aila" or Ignacio Camino with "Solintan", the Basque runner-up in the 2018 Worlds Iker Almandoz at the helm of "Grupo Garatu", the champion Jaime Piris with "Mercury", the Balearic Javier Chacartegui with "IBO.es", and Diego Botín's "ONO M&G Tressis" (yes, part of that famous yacht design family).
More information at j80spain.es