Tuesday, 22nd August 2023
Presented in Calvià the XXXVII Rei En Jaume Regatta
The competition, which will be held from 8th to 10th September, commemorates the journey made by King Jaime I on his way to conquer Mallorca in the year 1229
Salou and Santa Ponça will be twinned again, one more year, through the Rei En Jaume Regatta, which will take place between 8th and 10th September. The 37th edition will be held in the waters of the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, specifically between Salou (Tarragona) and Santa Ponça (Calvià), with a route of approximately 110 miles.
It is a recreation that tries to adjust to the historical events of the itinerary that led, in 1229, James I to Pantaleu island to later reach the Majorcan coast and start the conquest. For this reason, it will start in front of Salou Sailing Club and the finish line will be located at the Freu de Dragonera.
The competition was presented today at Calvià Town Hall in an act that was attended by the mayor of the municipality, Juan Antonio Amengual; the president of the Santa Ponça Yacht Club, Luis Nigorra; the director of the Rei En Jaume Regatta, Manuel Nadal de Uhler; and the deputy mayor for Sports, Javier Tascón.
The mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, has highlighted the importance of maintaining traditions and has assured that "we believe that a Regatta of this level, with the tradition it has, it is extremely important to maintain and strengthen it so that it can be carried out beyond these participants that exist today and that can be multiplied in the future”. In addition, he has described as enormous the experience as a sailor when, more than 30 years ago, he made the approximately 24-hour jouney. Likewise, he has highlighted the role of the organization and has ensured that the Rei En Jaume Regatta will endure.
The organizers expect a fleet of 12 or 15 boats and the majority will be Catalan crews. The director of the Rei En Jaume Regatta, Manuel Nadal de Uhler, explained that "participation this year has dropped a bit because the dates coincide with some of the events on the Copa América calendar, which is held in Barcelona."
Luis Nigorra, president of the Santa Ponça Sailing Club, stressed that "this regatta is a reflection of the proper functioning of public-private collaboration" and thanked the institutions for the support that the race has received over these 37 years and the loyalty of participants.
The regatta is organised by the Club Nàutic Salou (CNS) with the approval of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV), has the collaboration of the Club Náutico Santa Ponsa (CNSP), Port Adriano (Calvià), Port Tarraco (Tarragona), Club Nàutic de Cambrils, the Catalan Sailing Federation (FCV), the Royal National Cruise Association (RANC) and the Association of Vintage and Classic Boats (AEBEC) and is sponsored by the Calvià and Salou Town Halls.
In this XXXVII edition, the fleet will include ORC measurement certificate, Classic, A2 and Solitaire boats. The classifications will be established by classes and groups, and a ranking may also be made by clubs represented by teams made up of a boat of less than 50 feet and another of more than 50.
The race is one of the five competitions that is part of the High Seas Circuit and its development can be followed through the Club Náutico Santa Ponça website thanks to the sailing-tracking system that provides GPS devices to all participating vessels.
The regatta's sports programme will start on Friday, 8th September, with the skippers' meeting and the welcome dinner for the participants at the Salou Sailing Club. On Saturday, 9th September, the participating boats will gather in the bay of the Catalan town, from where the departure is scheduled. The trophy delivery ceremony will be on 10th September in Port Adriano.