Final Countdown in Palma for the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds
by Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 14 Sep 12:01 PDT
13-22 September 2024
Final touches for the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds © SailingShots by María Muiña
With the registration and measurement process starting yesterday, Friday, at the Porto Pi Naval Base, the organizing team of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds is tirelessly preparing for the competition’s kickoff.
As the first starting signal of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds approaches in just three days, the entire fleet is actively engaged in the measurement and registration process at Porto Pi Naval Base, ongoing since yesterday, Friday, until midday on the upcoming Monday. The Spanish Navy and the Naval Regatta Commission have provided essential resources and space for this logistical challenge, which the organizing team from the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) and the International J/70 class Association have fully committed to.
Vivi Mainemare, the sports coordinator of the RCNP, states: ‘We are receiving unwavering support from the Porto Pi Naval Base, and we are measuring all the boats set to compete in the World Championship. We have arranged tents, cranes, an office, and a space provided by the Port Authority where we are preparing the boats for the measuring process.’
To expedite and ease the process for participants, the organizers have divided this area into various stations where the sails, keel, rudder, and all materials used during the Worlds are checked.
‘When the teams arrive and are assigned their hull number, they proceed to different stations. Some measure the sails, while others check the keel depth, mast measurements, etc. Eventually, the boats are relaunched into the water and returned to the club,’ Mainemare explains.
A crucial figure in this entire operation is Nuria Oliver, the measurement area coordinator, who mentions: ‘We are lucky to have these facilities; the views under the lighthouse are stunning, and this is a very accessible and comfortable location. I believe the teams are quite aware of the effort involved, and they genuinely appreciate the staff’s readiness to assist.’
A total of one hundred boats will go through Porto Pi by Monday the 16th to secure the certificates required to compete for the season’s most significant title starting Tuesday.
For Christopher Howell, the executive director of the class, the organizing team’s efforts are vital to the success of such a large event: ‘It’s my first time in Palma, and the club has been incredible. They rolled out the red carpet and have been exceptionally attentive to all our needs.’
The Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds 2024 is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the International J/70 Class Association, with sponsorship from Sandberg Estates and collaborative support from the Palma City Council, the Spanish Navy, the Balearic Port Authority, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, and the Balearic Sailing Federation.
For more information, visit www.rcnp.es/j70worlds
