Record number of boats anticipated with over 300 Patí de Vela entries confirmed for America’s Cup Regatta
by America’s Cup Media 9 Oct 08:51 PDT
19-20 October 2024
More than 300 Patí de Vela catamarans confirmed for America’s Cup Regatta © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
The association between the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup and the Patí de Vela beach-launched catamarans continues with a festive regatta on 19-20 October 2024, anticipated to set new records with over 300 entries.
The Patí Català class is immensely popular along the Mediterranean coast. This 18-foot catamaran, with a beam of 5.24 feet, lacks rudders, centerboards, and booms, operating instead through precise mainsail adjustments and body weight distribution for steering.
A press conference unveiling this record-setting regatta featured the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, alongside Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, along with: Gerard Esteva, President of the Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya; David Escudé, Barcelona City Council Councilor of Sports; Miquel Àngel Alonso, President of ADIPAV; Josep Maria Isern, President of the Federació Catalana de Vela; and Ignasi Armengol, Director General of Fundació Barcelona Capital Nàutica, along with various institutional and sports figures.
During the press gathering, the Mayor addressed the significance of the class—often called ‘Patí Català’—and its ties to Barcelona, asserting: “The Patí Català embodies an authentic sailing experience in our city, and our commitment is to ensure its continuation for many years. We need to remember that we are a coastal city.”
The inaugural link between the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup and Patí de Vela was during the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i la Geltrú in September 2023, featuring around 210 of these stunning dinghies gracing the horizon with an enchanting backdrop.
The upcoming regatta in Barcelona is expected to surpass this number, and Gerard Esteva, a Patí de Vela sailor, former president of the International Association of Patí de Vela Owners (ADIPAV), and President of the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia (UFEC), expressed his enthusiasm for what lies ahead:
“I’m thrilled to announce a groundbreaking achievement: we have 320 registered participants for the America’s Cup of Patí. This remarkable milestone isn’t the final count, as we keep registrations open. We believe we can achieve 330 participants, potentially breaking a Guinness World Record.
“It’s an extraordinary moment for us; the participants are excited, and this is fantastic news for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, for Patí, for sailing, and for Barcelona. This connection between popular sailing and the America’s Cup marks a significant shift. The Patí community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, filling us with joy.”
The Official Race Village of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup recently hosted a significant event recognizing around 90 Catalan Olympians. Gerard Esteva remarked: “It was a fantastic gathering with 700-plus attendees. We honored 90 Catalan Olympians, many of whom are medalists, publicly acknowledging their dedication. We also presented the ‘Female Commitment Prize’ at the America’s Cup, accepted by Aurora Catà, Vice President of America’s Cup Event, the organizing body for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. It was an unforgettable ceremony.”
The president of Club Patí Vela Barcelona, Rafel Figuerola, who also addressed the audience, emphasized the extraordinary nature of the regatta: “In the preliminary regatta at Vilanova, we gathered 200 Patís, and now we aim to make history. We have the opportunity to showcase the strength of our craft to the world.”
Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, has been a strong advocate for the connection with the class, even providing a boat for the local club, decorated in Emirates Team New Zealand colors.
Regarding the event, Dalton stated: “The excitement surrounding this class is infectious, and it’s rare to see professional sailors pulled in, trying to understand how these skilled sailors manage their crafts. Bringing 320 boats to Barcelona is a remarkable milestone for the class, and we’re pleased to support the event and eagerly anticipate the spectacle on the water. Congratulations and thanks to Gerard and his team for their vision.”
About the Patí de Vela
On nearly any day of the week, at noon, these unique vessels can be spotted launched from the Barceloneta and Badalona beaches, where weekend races are both popular and fiercely competitive. The origins of the Patí de Vela trace back to the 1870s on the beach of Badalona, where fishermen would balance on two hulls and paddle out to check their nets. By the early 20th century, paddles resembling modern canoe paddles were replaced by oars, adapting the crafts for recreation and competitive racing, with crews seated and rowing.
In 1942, the Mongé brothers from Catalonia began experimenting with wooden masts and sails, positioning the base of the mast farther forward and introducing the dovetail mainsail. The implementation of a steel rack across the stern, a feature of modern designs, allowed the batten-less mainsail to be sheeted wide while still being flattened for upwind navigation.
As techniques evolved, so did the control systems; today’s Patí de Vela ‘skates’ utilize a variety of systems that can adjust forestay tension on each tack (the boats have two forestays, one attached to each hull) to manage mast bend and direction.
Around 40 ‘skates’ are constructed annually. While original boats were fully made of wood (hull and mast), modern hybrid crafts utilize fiberglass floats, wooden decks, and aluminum masts.
The primary factor in controlling these boats is body weight. Sailors move forward to luff up and backward to bear away, traversing across the five beams supporting the hulls. The sailing technique has transformed over time; earlier videos show sailors standing upright and precariously shifting forward and back.
Today, sailors of these captivating crafts often lie across the five hull planks, making slight body movements and ‘crawls’ to shift their weight. In light breezes, a beautiful balancing act involves standing while flying the windward hull, achieving impressive speed upwind through minute mainsail adjustments for optimal performance.
All control systems converge at the ‘piano,’ located at the midpoint of the craft between the hulls on the crossbeams. This area provides essential free-flying cunningham and stay adjustments while the mainsheet is directed forward and trimmed just behind the mast so sailors can maintain forward visibility. It’s a boat that rewards technique, with many sailors dedicating their lives to mastering balance and control, resulting in fast and closely fought races throughout the fleet.
Originating from Catalonia’s innovation, the Patí de Vela class now has fleets in France, Holland, and Belgium, yet its unique characteristics in the sailing world render these boats a remarkable sight on the water, sparking discussions on how these adept sailors manage to control their vessels with such precision in the purest form of the sport.
