The Diada de Vela Llatina highlights traditional sailing

This Sunday, September 15, the winning crews of the Diada de Vela Llatina at the Club Nàutic Cala Gamba were crowned. The Diada, a regatta of Vela Llatina (lateen sail) boats started by Cala Gamba 28 years ago, has played a decisive role in increasing interest in these small boats, and this year it reached a record number of 51 participating boats.

The Conseller de Medi Ambient del Consell de Mallorca, Pedro Bestard, who boarded the “Balear” during this event, emphasized at the end of the Diada, “The Consell de Mallorca will always support these activities. Vela Llatina is an emblem for Mallorca and the Mallorcans.” Meanwhile, Cati Darder, president of the Federació Balear de Vela, who participated in the Diada sailing on the Alzina, explained it like this: “The Diada de Vela Llatina is a true homage that serves to explain where we come from and the essence of sailing here in the Balearic Islands.”

The highlight of the second and final day of regattas was the naval parade celebrating the hundred-year anniversary of the “Balear”. All the participating boats circled the honored vessel twice in front of the cathedral before the competition. Afterward, a single race in all categories determined the winners of this year’s edition.

Another key objective of the Diada de Vela Llatina is to promote traditional Balearic sailing to other places and learn about similar experiences in other regions. To this end, every year a boat from another region is invited. This time, a Galician dorna polbeira called “Sobrada” joined the Diada. One of its crew members, Ángel Iglesias, shared their experience in Mallorca: “It’s been a very enriching experience. We came to Mallorca not knowing what to expect, but the welcome has been wonderful. What stands out to me is the hospitality and warmth of the people.”

On the sporting side, the second day of the Diada crowned the winners in the different divisions. Winds reaching up to 16 knots made the final day challenging for these small boats. The winner in the Vela Llatina Clàssica group was “Uep,” helmed by Jaime Vidal, after winning both races in this division. “Ventolina,” captained by Jaume Durán, topped the general classification in the Regatta class. In Llaüts Clàssics, the title went to “Savanna,” owned by Toni Jover. In the Dragonera group, victory went to “Mitjana,” skippered by Gabriel Català, who won all three races in this class. Finally, in the non-competitive categories, the andritxol “Posidonia,” helmed by Alfonso García, won in the Oberta class, while in the Oberta division of Llaüts Clàssics, “Primero,” owned by Bernat Oliver, took first place, tied on points with “Boeres” from Mare Mar Fundació.

Additionally, the Mestre Miquel Llompart prize, which recognizes the life achievements of individuals and entities in favor of traditional sailing, was awarded this year to the Associació de Barques Tradicionals de Portocolom (Traditional Boats Association of Portocolom), which has given a great boost to the promotion of Vela Llatina in this town in recent years.

One of the board members of the Club Nàutic Cala Gamba, as well as baritone, Cristófol Romaguera, brought the Diada to a close by singing La Balanguera.