A Trophy Befitting the 60th Great Day of Sailing at the CNA

The Great Day of Sailing - Bufete Frau, the longest-standing and most emblematic regatta of the Club Nàutic S'Arenal, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

For this edition, the club has pulled out all the stops and prepared several surprises and special details to celebrate this milestone, which will be revealed gradually. One of these surprises involves art. The trophy for this edition has been specially commissioned from a very special artist closely connected to the club and sailing since his early childhood.

This artist is Miguel Sánchez-Cuenca, known at the club by the nickname 'Capi', a member since 1980. He has represented the CNA in various competitions in the 420 and 470 classes, winning gold in championships such as the European Youth Championship, the Sofía, and the King’s Cup, sailing alongside celebrated legends like Pepote Ballester. He has also been a beginner’s instructor and youth class coach before being recruited by the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the Balearic Sailing School. Additionally, he has been part of the CNA’s Board of Directors.

His professional life is also deeply connected to the sea and sailing: he is a meteorologist specializing in weather reports for regattas and has worked on world-renowned events such as the America’s Cup and the Olympic Games, providing weather forecasts for the Spanish Sailing Team at every Olympic event since Sydney 2000.

Since 2019, he has also devoted part of his time to painting. Most of his oil paintings are marine-themed, of course. His artistic talent runs in the family, as he is the grandson of architect Gabriel Alomar Esteve.

'Capi' is a part of the large CNA family, and on this special occasion, the CNA Board of Directors commissioned him to create the logo for the 60th Great Day of Sailing. The result is a beautiful painting dominated by sails and marine colors. "I wanted to capture my excitement and memories of this iconic regatta, which held its first edition when I was just one year old. I based it on the sails of Optimist and 420, which I consider fundamental, and in the case of 420, it stands out due to the strong and successful presence this class has at the CNA. I also wanted to express the values that sailing entails: competitiveness, freedom,... It also represents the blend of colors and classes in a single event," explains the artist.

The painting will be displayed at the club, and the winners of each class in this 60th edition of the Great Day of Sailing will receive reproductions of the artwork. "This commission, ever since the CNA president called me to ask for it, filled me with great pride and honor. It excites me a lot. What better museum for this painting than my lifelong club, the place where I feel at home and everyone knows me," he declares.

The Great Day of Sailing - Bufete Frau is a historic and very special sporting event for the club and all sailing enthusiasts in the Balearic Islands. It will take place from August 24 to September 1, 2024, featuring races for the Optimist, 420, Ilca 6, Ilca 4, Open IQ Foil, Techno 293, Formula Windsurf, Musto Skiff classes, and, as a novelty, the adapted sailing class Acces, which has been absent in recent editions due to organizational and scheduling issues.