The Starting Signal for the Youth iQFOiL World Championship at CN Sa Ràpita

This Sunday, the Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita (CNR) celebrated the inauguration of the 2024 IQFoil Youth & Junior World Championship, an unprecedented event for the club which will take place over the next week, featuring the participation of 380 young athletes from 36 different countries.

In total, six days of racing will be held from Monday, October 26, to Friday, November 1, culminating in the Medal Race on Saturday, November 2.

The inauguration ceremony, held on the beach, was hosted by Noelia Madrazo and Ariadna Tomás, both closely associated with the club, in a trilingual event in Spanish, Catalan, and English. The event underscored the importance for the club of hosting an event of this magnitude.

The ceremony gathered about 800 people on the sand at Es Trenc beach near the CNR, including competitors in uniform with flags from their respective countries, and their coaches, family, and friends, in an atmosphere of great anticipation.

During the event, the president of CNR, Pau Lladó, spoke, highlighting that “it is an honor and a privilege for the club to undertake the organization of a championship of this magnitude, which undoubtedly is one of the most momentous events in the history of CNR.”

During the ceremony, the president of the Youth iQFOiL Class, Lorand Utassy, thanked the club for its skill in organizing the championship and its commitment to this class, citing Nacho Baltasar as an example. He also publicly thanked Miki Bover, the CNR's sports director, for his role in organizing the event.

The mayor of Campos, Xisca Porquer, peppered her speech with popular sayings and a variety of maritime-themed music from our Mediterranean, in a speech marked by the emotion with which the Balearic people experience the sea. She also emphasized the magnitude of the event and the large concentration of athletes at this championship.

On behalf of the Balearic Government, the event was closed by Pedro Vidal, the Regional Secretary of Culture and Sports, who highlighted the fact that Mallorca has become the world capital of youth sailing for these days, with a first-rate impact and fostering inclusive societal development.

Among the notable athletes present at the event, who received great applause when they took the stage for the customary photo, were Nacho Baltasar and Ingrid Puusta, who participated in the recent Paris Olympics, along with various European and world champions of this class, such as Shahar Tibi, the 2023 world champion; Andy Brown, the 2024 European runner-up; Maya Gysle, the 2023 world runner-up and 2024 European runner-up, and Anastasia Valkevich, the 2024 European bronze medalist.

After the speeches, the participating teams took a group photo by country, accompanied by the percussion music of the Terraroja batucada from Campos, hired for the occasion. The atmosphere was filled with great joy, color, and emotion, befitting the historic occasion.

Now that the World Championship has been inaugurated, the races will begin tomorrow, Monday, from midday, marking the start of this great event that turns CNR into the epicenter of the iQFOil class these days and consolidates it as a benchmark club in international sailing.