From 5 to 9 February, our sailors Sara Ayats, Joan Pla and Aina Artalejo, together with their coach Oriol Piña, took part in the Spanish Cup and the European Championship in the Europa Class at the Real Club Nàutic de Torrevieja, as part of the 10th edition of the Comunitat Valenciana Olympic Week, one of the most important competitions in the international calendar of the Europa Class.
The Spanish Cup is an official competition of the RFEV (Real Federación Española de Vela) that brings together the best sailors in the country in the Europe Class. Organized this year by the Real Club Náutico de Torrevieja, this event is one of the most significant on the national calendar, as it determines the national ranking and selects the national teams that will represent Spain at the European Youth Championship and the World Championship of the Europe Class. The competition features a high technical level and strong participation, with sailors from all over Spain and internationally.
The European Championship of the Europe Class is an international sailing competition that brings together the best Europe Class sailors from across the continent. This competition includes athletes from various European nations in both the senior and youth categories.
This regatta was the final scoring event for this season’s national ranking, making it a decisive competition for selecting the national teams that will represent Spain in the major international events of the season, such as the European Youth Championship and the World Sailing Championship, which will take place in Hayling Island, England, and Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy, respectively.
Our sailors demonstrated their strength in challenging weather conditions, marked by light offshore winds, which allowed all 10 scheduled races to be completed.
The Results of Our Sailors
With a total of 58 participants from 10 different countries, and despite the complexity of the racecourse, with constant changes in wind direction and intensity, as well as an extremely high level of competition, our sailors achieved outstanding results:
Sara Ayats was crowned Champion of the Spanish Cup Sub-20, establishing herself as one of the most promising sailors in the Europe Class. Additionally, she achieved a remarkable 3rd place in the overall women’s category at the European Championship, confirming her excellent form and her ability to compete among the best sailors at the international level.
On the other hand, Joan Pla achieved a remarkable 4th place in the men’s category at the Spanish Cup, demonstrating his strength in the discipline. He also finished the European Championship in the absolute men’s category with an excellent 6th place.
Finally, Aina Artalejo completed the regatta with a notable 38th place overall, with strong performances that allowed her to finish among the top 15 in several races.
At Club Nàutic Estartit, we are very proud of the results achieved by our sailors. Congratulations to all of them and to our coach, Oriol Piña, for his hard work and leadership, which have been fundamental to this success. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the dedication, hard work, and passion that our sailors have demonstrated for sailing.
