Since last Friday and until February 17, Marina Rubicón is the center of world Olympic sailing. It is only its third edition and, nevertheless, the Lanzarote International Regatta is rapidly consolidating as one of the essential events of the world Olympic circuit. This year more than 350 athletes from 39 countries from Asia, America, Oceania and Europe are participating, among whom the crème de la crème of the current scene is not lacking: Olympic champions and medalists, world champions, continental champions and many of the world's Top 3 are represented in up to six Olympic disciplines: 49er, 49erFX, 470, iQFOil female and male and Nacra 17.
The regatta is divided into two halves. The first classes to compete have been 470, 49er and 49erFX, which will finish their tests today, while the fleet of flying Olympic windsurfing iQFOil and the mixed catamaran Nacra 17 will compete from tomorrow, day 14, until February 17.
Rafael Lasso, CEO of Marina Rubicón, highlights the high level of the participants: "We have more than 15 gold medals right now in Lanzarote, between sailors and coaches; and they not only come for the regatta but the average stay on the island is more than two months, with a very powerful economic return in the area, estimated at more than three million euros. We want to put the icing on the cake this season and consolidate the training base. We have the place, infrastructure, the team... Now we have to consolidate it and give it continuity".
Today Monday, first finals
The huge waves, the strong wind and the 'calima' -the suspended dust from the Sahara that has caused Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria to be on yellow alert- were a challenge for the fleet yesterday. With visibility reduced to just over 200 meters, safety has prevailed and after the first race yesterday of the 470 the Regatta Committee sent the fleet back to Marina Rubicon.
In the afternoon even the flights in and out of Lanzarote had been delayed by the effects of the haze. Today we will see if the Sahara dust has dissipated overnight and improves visibility. If so, the plan is to do a race with all the fleets and then the Medal Race, a race that scores double and in which only the top 10 finishers participate.
The Spanish dominate in the mixed 470 class, with two crews on the podium: those formed by Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman and by Silvia Mas and Nico Rodríguez. Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo precisely with Xammar, Nico Rodríguez is clear about things and highlights the level of the Lanzarote International Regatta: "There are practically all the best in the world, only one or two boats from the world top 10 are missing. We are a team that has been sailing together for a short time and we still have work ahead of us, so it is about being consistent and seeing that we compete at a high level. All the regattas are important now, with the next Olympic Games in Paris so close, and we are taking the Lanzarote International Regatta as what it is: a serious, important regatta, with a well-assembled team as we are seeing", says the Galician Olympic medalist.
Meanwhile, two British teams continue to occupy the top spot in the 49er and 49erFX fleets: James Peters and Fynn Sterritt and Freya Black and Saskia Tidey, respectively.
You can follow all the information of the days in www.lanzarotesailingcenter.com and through the social networks of the Lanzarote Sailing Center.
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This international event organized by Marina Rubicón has the support of the Royal Canarian Sailing Federation and is possible thanks to the institutional sponsorships of Promotur Turismo de Canarias with the financing of the REACTEU Fund and Turismo del Cabildo de Lanzarote through the sports product European Sports Destination (managed by SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote), as well as the public collaboration of the Yaiza City Council and the private entities Dinghycoach, Naviera Armas and Cabrera Medina (Cicar).
