2022 Hobie 16 World Championships Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona, Spain - Preview
by Hobie Racing 14 Sep 2022 17:11 BST
15-29 September 2022
Hobie 16 World Championships Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona, Spain © Hobie Racing
The 2022 Hobie 16 World Championships head to Europe after a 25-year hiatus. Following our last world championship event in 2019, there was a strong desire to return to Europe, however this didn't come easy as the pandemic complicated every aspect of a Worlds event planning.
Despite having to reschedule a few times, we are pleased to be hosting this event in the Costa Brava region of Spain. The Mediterranean Sea has influenced human culture for thousands of years and sailing on the "Med" is an aspiration for many sailors.
This September, 225 teams composed of 450 sailors will compete in six events that compromise the Hobie 16 World Championships. The Hobie Cat Company provides 50 brand new identical boats that are used in a round robin format throughout the event. Sailors only need to bring their personal gear as all the boats are identical and are exchanged between races. Provided boat events have been a long-standing approach to World Championship racing in the Hobie class going back to the first Hobie 16 World Championships held in Hawaii in 1976.
The Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona area, a coastal region of northeast Spain provides six kilometers of beach in an area perfect for sailing. The host venue Camping La Ballena Alegre is a popular destination for sailing regattas and kiteboarding.
Teams to watch include 2019 world champions Yamil SABA/ Anakarina LUNA MENDOZA (VEN), past champions Daniel CHRISTENSEN/Josephine FREDERIKSEN (DEN). Cam OWEN/Susan GHENT (AUS) and Gavin COLBY/Josephine MARK (AUS) who have been practicing hard throughout the south hemisphere winter and are hungry for a win. Time will tell who can maintain consistency in the big fleet to become the next Hobie 16 World Champions.
Entry list and results at hobieworlds.com