This year's competition which is due to count with the participation of about 20 vessels, will consist in only one event: the route between Salou and Calvià
The XXIV Rei en Jaume yacht race, presented today at the Santa Ponça Sailing Club,will start on Friday 10th September in Salou and will finish on the following day, on Saturday 11th September, in Calvià. This year, the competition will consist in only one event, which is, the route between the municipality of Tarragona, Salou and Calvià.
This crossing, of approximately 140 miles, had been celebrated until 2002. In the past, this nautical day was a clear sport reference for all high level navigation lovers and became, in a short period of time, in an emblem in the sailing sport which got together the best national experts in this kind of tours. Mentioned crossing, was decided to be cancelled in 2002, finishing, therefore, with the sport relation which started in 1987 between the Salou and Calvià Town Halls which decided to do this competition as a commemoration of the conquest of Mallorca, doing the same trip that the King James I, did with his troops disembarking in Sta. Ponça after a first stop on the Pantaleu small island , opposite Sant Elm, in 1229. In 2006, the Calvià Town Hall, again, rescued this yacht race and supported this competition.
It is estimated that about 20 vessels representing the most active fleets in the Catalan and Balearic coast lines will participate in the yacht race , this year, reserved to the RI type cruises , and organized by the Sta. Ponça and Salou Sailing Clubs with their Town Hall's sponsor and with the Puerto Portals Yacht Races Club (CRPP) collaboration. Applications can be submitted in the sailing club offices, mentioned above, before 3rd September. The RI type cruises can participate in the two different modalities: complete or reduced crew.
According to the programme, the yacht race will start at 10'00 hours in Salou and it is estimated that the participating vessels, after about 140 miles trip, will arrive to the Sta. Ponça bay over the course of Saturday 11th September. Later, a barbecue will be provided for all attendants including the trophy awards.
The Mayor of Calvià, Carlos Delgado; the Salou Saling Club manager, Josep Seguer; the Sta. Ponça Sailing Club President, Miguel Nigorra and Manolo Nadal, the yacht race organizer, attended the XXIV Rei en Jaume yacht race presentation.