This Friday, the Real Club Náutico de Palma hosted the opening ceremony of the season’s main event, which this year celebrates its 40th edition.
The Sala Magna of the Real Club Náutico de Palma hosted today, Friday 29th July, the inauguration of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE with the celebration of an event that marked the starting signal for its 40th edition. Ahead, eight days of events – six of them competition days – with more than one hundred teams and twenty nationalities fighting for the title in the Bay of Palma in each of the nine participating categories.
Assistants
Among those in attendance was the president of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, Emerico Fuster; Óscar Celada, MAPFRE’s territorial general manager in the Balearic Islands; Fina Santiago, Minister of Social Affairs and Sports of the Government of the Balearic Islands and Carles Gonyalons, General Director of Sports; Jorge Nasarre López, Director of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands; Commander Núñez de Prado, Head of the Naval Sector of the Balearic Islands; Francisco Ducrós, Sports Councillor of Palma City Council; and Jorge Forteza, Commodore of the Real Club Náutico de Palma.
Statements
Manuel Fraga, the regatta director, was in charge of opening the event by revealing the sporting details of this 40th edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE:
“This year the fleet will be divided into nine categories. Four of them will compete in corrected time and the remaining five will compete in real time. We will have three regatta areas located in our wonderful bay of Palma and, pending confirmation of the final entries, we will once again have a very international regatta with twenty nationalities represented and more than 110 teams.
For his part, Emerico Fuster began his intervention by stating that:
“The opening ceremony of this year’s Copa del Rey MAPFRE has a special significance. Firstly, because we are reaching our 40th edition, and we are doing so in excellent health, with the unconditional support of the institutions and sponsors without whose involvement it would be impossible to organise this great event. It is also special because it allows us to vindicate before public opinion and institutions the importance of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, a social heritage of Mallorca that has been committed to the promotion of sport and the organisation of great regattas since its foundation in 1948”.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Family and the Spanish Navy’s Naval Racing Commission for the support and affection they have always shown us, to whom we will pay a well-deserved tribute as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, and to invite you all to attend the presentation this Sunday of the book in which we have compiled the great milestones of the regatta’s voyage. We are 74 years old as a club and 40 editions of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE. We are part of the maritime heritage of this land and we hope to remain here for a long time to continue writing this undoubtedly exciting story with your help”, concluded the president of the RCNP.
The closing speaker was Óscar Celada. MAPFRE’s territorial general manager in the Balearic Islands wanted to emphasise that:
“Once again this year we are kicking off our Copa del Rey MAPFRE with even more enthusiasm. A sustainable event, respectful of the environment and committed to equality, values that form part of MAPFRE’s DNA. All of us who form part of the MAPFRE family are proud to sponsor this competition, and we are convinced that this year it will be a resounding success that will once again make the Bay of Palma the best setting for this event”.
The event officially begins tomorrow, Saturday, with the first day of registration and measurements, and it will be Monday the 1st when the fleet makes its debut on the race course in the Bay of Palma.
The 40th Copa del Rey MAPFRE will take place from 30 July to 6 August in the Bay of Palma. It is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, with the sponsorship of MAPFRE and the institutional collaboration of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Palma City Council, the Balearic Islands Port Authority and the Balearic Sailing Federation.
PRESENTATION 40TH MAPFRE KING’S CUP – VIDEO SUMMARY
SOURCE: Communications Office of the 40th Copa del Rey MAPFRE.
IMAGES: Villegas Photo
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