Enrique Mas: ‘When the windsurfer class starts in Palma, it will rise at national level’

More than 400 members at international level and between 70 and 80 at national level, that's the windsurfer class. A nautical discipline that is becoming more and more popular in our islands and that the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni is giving it visibility with the organisation of different competitions such as the International Windsurfer Ibiza Meeting (IWIM) which was held last month in the waters of the Pitiusas.

The technical director of Club Nàutic Sant Antoni, Enrique Mas, has visited the studios of Pasión por el Mar to tell us all the details about this eye-catching class. ‘It is a class that has been brought back to life, as the board has been updated with fantastic features,’ says Mas. It is a simple board, with a very well designed rig, a mast that is partly carbon and a sail of about 5`7 square meters. 

Another of the most striking features of this class is that it has no age. ‘It is a class open to everyone, because there is no distinction by category, we are divided by weight,’ explains Mas. In addition, it is a class where there is a very good atmosphere among the sailors, as could be seen in the last edition of the International Windsurfer Ibiza Meeting. ‘There are sailors who have participated in the IWIM for the third year and they have already told us that they will be back next year,’ acknowledges Mas.

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For this reason, the technical director of Es Nàutic is working to promote this class on all the islands and attract more followers. ‘I would like the windsurfing class to start in Palma, because when it starts here, it will rise to a national level,’ he confesses. 

Furthermore, the technical director of Es Nàutic explained to us how the Balearic Islands Wingfoil Series circuit has been created. ‘Wingfoil is a discipline that is being recognised at a national level and we had to create a regional qualification system to be able to participate in these Cups,’ says Mas, who recognises that this is why they decided to create this Balearic circuit. ‘We have made a set of rules, an announcement and common regatta instructions for all the races’. 

The first of the regattas of this circuit was the Trasmapi Cup, which was held in Formentera with 40 participants. The second stop of the Illes Balears Wingfoil Series will be this weekend at the Reial Club Nàutic Port de Pollença, where the Balearic Championship will be held. The Club Nàutic S'Arenal will host the third race in July and then the fleet will head to Es Nàutic in October to compete in the Spanish Cup. The last stop of the Illes Balears Wingfoil Series will be Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita in November. 

‘It is a discipline that is not easy, but the experience of flying is very attractive and attracts a lot of attention from the youngsters,’ says the technical director of Es Nàutic.