The best windsurfers meet at the International Windsurfer Ibiza Meeting Spain Cup 2024

The presentation of the International Windsurfer Ibiza Meeting Spain Cup 2024, which is being held for the third consecutive year in the bay of Portmany, took place this morning at the Hotel-Apartamentos Ses Savines on the s'Arenal beach in Sant Antoni. On this occasion, more than 80 participants from seven countries and eight autonomous communities will be taking part.

The event, organized by the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni, the International Windsurfer Class Association and the Balearic Sailing Federation, starts tomorrow and will continue until next Sunday. The competition will take place on Saturday, starting at 4.30 p.m., and on Sunday, at 12 noon, on a circuit prepared on the s'Arenal beach. The prize-giving ceremony will also take place on Sunday, at 5 p.m., at the Hotel-Apartamentos Ses Savines. The regatta stands out for the speed of these boards and the colourful sails, which will undoubtedly make an impact on the public who congregate in the area.

Among the main contenders to win the competition are Italian champion Andrea Marchesi and Finnish specialists Tuija Antilla and Juha Blinnikka. Among the women, the presence of the CNSA sailor Oren del Álamo, who will defend the title against great champions such as the Italian Manuela Archidiacono, also present at the event, should be highlighted.

The "Windsurfer" board emerged in France in 1973 and became popular throughout the seventies and eighties, with many world championships being held. Over the years it became obsolete, being replaced by new types of faster and lighter boards. A few years ago, however, this class was revived by an international group of nostalgic sailors, who now hold competitions all over the world, joined by enthusiasts who have an average age of 50 and who take advantage of the regatta to go sightseeing, enjoy the gastronomy and socialise with other sportsmen and women.

The competition is accompanied by an intense programme of activities and some of the participants even extend their stay on the island for a week. The epicenter of the event is the Hotel-Apartamentos Ses Savines and the Es Nàutic facilities themselves, which offer an incomparable setting for nautical-sports and gastronomic activities.

The presentation was attended by various institutional representatives, such as the island director of Tourism, Juan Miguel Costa; the Sant Antoni Sports Councillor, Daniel Sánchez; the president of the Windsurfer Class in Europe, Marco Liello, and the national secretary of the Windsurfer Class, Cristina Roca, among others. The IWIN is sponsored by the Consell Insular d'Eivissa, Sant Antoni Town Council and Balearia.