Club Nàutic S'Arenal crowns Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman 470 World Champions

Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman are the new 470 world champions. The Spaniards were the most consistent among the 61 crews of 26 nationalities that competed for the 2024 title in the bay of Palma under the organization of Club Nàutic S'Arenal. Xammar and Brugman were runners-up in 2022 and 2023 and, with this well-deserved title, reaffirmed their bid for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The bay of Palma presented extreme conditions on the last day of competition in the 470 World Championship, preventing the Medal Race from taking place. Waves up to three meters high at the mouth of the harbor prevented participants and the organizers from going out onto the race course to celebrate the final round of the World Championship, which closed with the results of the previous day's competition.

After five intense days of competition and 11 races, the title went to Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman. After a start to the week dominated by the Japanese squads in light breezes, and the warning of the Germans Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort when the intensity rose to 13-14 knots, the Spaniards remained on the lookout at all times, and took advantage when the wind rose to 18-20 knots to take the lead at the right time. Runners-up in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, the Spaniards arrived at Club Nàutic S'Arenal with the added pressure of playing at home and as favorites for their excellent performance during this Olympic cycle.

"We are finally 470 World Champions! Jordi Xammar was enthusiastic and relieved for a title that was missing from his extensive list of titles. The Barcelona native has already won medals in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, and in the last two (together with Nora Brugman) he was on the verge of the title with two runner-up finishes. "This championship was extremely important for us. We had been very close, and you never know when your last 470 World Championship will be. We went out with a lot of pressure, but we have shown again that we know how to perform under pressure, and that is very important for the Games".

In an emotional prize-giving ceremony, Xammar wanted to highlight the work of his crew member Nora Brugman. "I am extremely proud of Nora for the way she keeps pushing the limits. Don't push them too far, because I'm starting to suffer to follow you!".

Nora Brugman recalled her predecessors in the 470 world Olympus, where they already occupy a place alongside other Spanish sailing greats such as Antonio Gorostegui and Manuel Albalat (1974), Jordi Calafat and Kiko Sánchez Luna (1992 and 1993), Theresa Zabell and Patricia Guerra (1992), Theresa Zabell and Begoña Vía Dufresne (1995 and 1996), Tara Pacheco and Berta Betanzos (2011), or Silvia Mas and Patricia Cantero (2021). "In Spain we have an incredible history of 470 sailors. We are very honored to be part of this history, and we want to keep working to write a new page in the Olympic Games this summer. It is an honor to be on the list of Spanish world champions.

Behind Xammar and Brugman were Great Britain's Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube, who made an extraordinary progression during the week and secured Great Britain's country place for Paris 2024 in the process. Third place went to the 2023 World Champions, Japan's Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka.

Ferrán Muniesa, manager of the organizer Club Nàutic S'Arenal, made a very positive assessment of this 470 World Championship. "We have had a somewhat atypical week compared to what people usually expect in Palma, but we have been able to compete in all the races except the Medal Race. We have had different conditions, with cold, heat, more and less big waves, more and less stable wind,... It was an intense championship, but I was very happy because everything went very well on the water, the team responded very well, the atmosphere was great, the relationship with the class was magnificent. And, to top it all off, the victory of a Spanish team in an event held in Spain".

Andreas Kosmatopoulos, President of the 470 Class: "This has been one of the best championships we have had in recent years. We are very, very satisfied with the organization, the Race Committee, the Jury, the sailors... I think it was amazing. We are looking forward to coming back again to Club Nàutic S'Àrenal".

With the 2024 World Championship completed, the crews return to their Olympic preparation. The vast majority remain in Mallorca to continue training and with their sights set on their next event: the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar, to be held in the bay of Palma from the 29th March to the 6th of April.