The 47 Christmas Race is presented in Palamós with a full lineup
by Jaume Soler 15 Dec 2023 22:28 NZDT
18-22 December 2023
The 47 Christmas Race is presented in Palamós (l-r) Xavier Torres, Lluís Puig, Miquel Aviñó, Mònica Alcalá y David Ruíz © Jaume Soler
The 47th edition of the Christmas Race, the traditional international sailing regatta taking place from December 18th to 22nd in the waters of Palamós Bay, has kicked off with its traditional presentation at the Espai del Peix.
The international regatta gathers 233 crews from 18 countries spread across 8 classes.
The event was attended by Miquel Aviñó, sports vice president of CN Costa Brava-Vela Palamós; Lluís Puig, mayor of Palamós; Mònica Alcalá, deputy for Youth and Education of the Girona Provincial Council; Xavier Torres, president of the Catalan Sailing Federation, and David Ruíz, representative of Ports de la Generalitat. Xavier Torres commented, "It's the most international regatta we have in Catalonia. It has managed to adapt to the new times; it started with Olympic classes and has found new paths with youth classes. Without a doubt, it's the international reference regatta for both the Catalan and Spanish Federations.
Miguel Aviñó reviewed the numbers for the Christmas Race in terms of participants, countries, and classes. The vice president of CN Costa Brava-Vela Palamós highlighted that 'we have reintroduced the 29er class, a regatta highly conscious of sustainability, which has chosen to open its European circuit for the first time at the Christmas Race.' Regarding this, he mentioned that 'the Christmas Race was a pioneer in sustainability, something appreciated by the classes and participants.'
Lluís Puig highlighted the internationality of the Christmas Race: 'It's a highly anticipated regatta in the municipality for almost 50 years, with a very significant direct impact. Without a doubt, we must continue supporting these competitions, which are also very mindful of the environment and surroundings.'
Xavier Torres commented that 'it is the most international regatta we have in Catalonia. It has been able to adapt to the new times, it started with Olympic classes and has found new ways with the youth classes. It is undoubtedly the regatta of international reference for both the Catalan and Spanish federations'.
Mònica Alcalá spoke about the impact on the territory: 'The Christmas Race is one of the most important sporting events for the Girona region. Olympic, world, and European champions have passed through here, and Palamós is a global reference point in sailing sports, projecting internationally for Palamós, the Costa Brava, and Girona.'
David Ruíz explained, 'From Ports de la Generalitat, we are delighted to collaborate with this highly international regatta, which adds significant value to the territory.'
Maximum Participation
As of today, there are 233 registered boats, distributed across 8 categories. ILCA 6 Male (51), ILCA 6 Female (19), ILCA 4 Male (40), ILCA 4 Female (20), 420 Male/Mixed (48), 420 Female (17), 29er Male/Mixed (27), 29er Female (10).
In terms of countries, there are 18 in total: Germany (12), Austria (5), Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (1), Slovakia (1), Spain (88), France (34), Finland (1), Great Britain (24), Italy (13), Mexico (1), Netherlands (19), Poland (6), Portugal (7), Switzerland (7), Sweden (2), and Ukraine (9).
Sustainable Regatta
In this edition, the major novelty will be the return of the 29er class, which will open the EuroCup, the continental circuit for the year 2024 in the waters of Palamós. This year, this double class has been incorporated, being a Clean Class within the international association 'Sailors for the Sea' and the Christmas Race. For this reason, it has become part of the category as a Clean Regatta, a sustainable competition, which has been working on sustainable actions for several years, such as being paper and plastic-free, among others."