The sailor from Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Nacho Baltasar, adds a new award

The sailor from Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Nacho Baltasar, wins the Timón de Vela Award after a brilliant season that led him to participate in the Paris Olympics at only 19 years old.

On September 11 of last year, it was announced that the sailor from Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Nacho Baltasar, and the sailor from Club Nàutic S’Arenal, Paula Barceló, would represent Spain at the Paris Olympics. For Baltasar, this achievement was the culmination of an impressive sporting growth that earned him the 2024 Timón de Vela Award, a prize given by the specialized magazine Gaceta Náutica.

Until a few months before his designation, few sailing fans could have imagined that Baltasar would earn a spot in the world’s largest sports event. His meteoric progression turned him into a rising star. In just one year, the young sailor moved up to become number 2 in the world iQFOiL ranking, securing his place in the Games. Nacho Baltasar thus became the fourth nautical athlete from the Balearic Islands to go to Paris, but the only one who had not previously received the Timón Award.

Nacho Baltasar’s season was dazzling, but not without obstacles. At the Paris Olympics, only bad luck and a controversial decision by the Jury on the decisive day prevented him from competing for the medals. However, this setback does not affect the promising future that awaits him. At just 19 years old, Baltasar has the potential and the experience to come back stronger at the next Games in Los Angeles.

This year has been particularly notable for Baltasar: he achieved a bronze at the Olympic Week in Hyères, a fifth place at the Test Event in Marseille, and a seventh place at the Princess Sofia Trophy. He was also eighth at the iQFOiL Games in Lanzarote and tenth at the 2024 World Championship in The Hague, where he also became the Under-23 runner-up.

Reaching this level was not an easy task. Nacho Baltasar's successes are the result of immense sacrifice, with endless hours of training and a physical discipline few can imagine. To compete at the highest level in the iQFOiL category, Nacho knew he needed to significantly increase his muscle mass, something he achieved with a meticulous work plan, gaining 20 kilos of pure muscle. This physical transformation was key to his success on the water.

Baltasar's effort has been constant since his first steps in sailing. That small child who competed in Optimist with his lifelong club, CN Sa Ràpita, has grown to become the first Olympic sailor from the entity. The role played by clubs like this is fundamental, as they train numerous sailors so that, among them, one can stand out on the international scene. Nacho Baltasar is today the reflection of that collective effort and the tireless dedication of his club.

The Timón Awards ceremony, which this year reaches its ninth edition, will be held on November 22 at the Port Centre, the institutional building of the Balearic Port Authority (APB) in the Port of Palma. This event, which brings together the best of the nautical world over the last twelve months, is sponsored by the APB, Ports IB, and Redeia, and also has the collaboration of entities such as Astilleros de Mallorca, Puerto Portals, Bufete León Von Ondarza, Port Adriano, Alcudiamar, Club de Vela Port d'Andratx, Bufete Frau, Portcall, Cruceros Margarita, Sa Calma Boats, ACNB, ANADE, Bodegas José L. Ferrer, Real Club Náutico de Palma, and Exclusive Rent 4 Events.