From January 30 to February 1, the island of Lanzarote and the bay of Arrecife will be the epicenter of national sailing, with the celebration of the 2026 Windsurfer Spanish Cup – Javier Hidalgo Memorial. An event organized by the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife that will bring together more than a hundred sailors, and which will serve to honor and remember the figure of Javier Hidalgo, one of the great promoters of windsurfing on the island of Lanzarote.
The official presentation of the 2026 Spanish Windsurfer Cup – Javier Hidalgo Memorial took place on Thursday morning at the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife. The event was attended by the club's president, Julio Romero, who was accompanied by Juan Monzón, counselor for Physical Activity and Sports of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Roberto Herbón, representing the Arrecife City Council, and Héctor Fernández, CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote. Also present were Joaquín González-Devesa, president of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, Cristina Roca, secretary of the Windsurfer class, Enrique Sánchez, zone director of Caixabank, and Isabela Negrín, widow of Javier Hidalgo.
The president of the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, Julio Romero, explained that the Javier Hidalgo Memorial "is born in homage and in memory of a person who spurred our club to request the organization of the Spanish Windsurfer Cup," and highlighted that "Javier Hidalgo was a recognized person who always fought for the promotion of windsurfing on the island of Lanzarote."
Along the same lines, the Minister of Physical Activity and Sports of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Juan Monzón, highlighted the figure of "Javier Hidalgo as the driving force behind this event and a person who has left an indelible mark," considering it a "more than deserved" tribute. Furthermore, he pointed out that "the Spanish Windsurfer Cup is a competition that highlights the global reach of sporting events held in Lanzarote."
Representing the Arrecife City Council, Roberto Herbón stated that "Arrecife is the best marina we have in the Canary Islands and Spain," and pointed out that "the event will generate significant economic activity for the capital." For his part, Héctor Fernández, CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, highlighted that "windsurfing has deep roots in Lanzarote and the Copa de España will help to recover and revalue such a proven class," and therefore, he emphasized that "it is good news for tourism in Lanzarote."
Enrique Sánchez, area director for Caixabank, recalled that “we collaborate with everything related to sports,” and for that reason, he assured, “we could not fail to participate in the event.” Furthermore, he predicted that “it is the seed of a new line of collaboration with Lanzarote’s nautical sector.”
The secretary of the Windsurfer class in Spain, Cristina Roca, pointed out that "one of the objectives in recent years has been the promotion of windsurfing in the Canary Islands," and recalled that "it is one of the fastest-growing classes worldwide." She expressed pride that Lanzarote will host the 2026 Spanish Windsurfer Cup in January.
Joaquín González-Devesa, president of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, wanted to recall that "clubs are the most important thing in sailing, where our athletes are born and trained, the Canary Islands have a great tradition and Arrecife has enviable conditions," highlighting the training camps that Olympic teams hold on the island during the summer. He also requested that "children's and youth sailing be supported, it must be supported in every possible way, because our future Olympic sailors will come from there."
The presentation was closed by Isabela Negrín, Javier Hidalgo's widow, who thanked them for the gesture of organizing a memorial in her husband's name, and became emotional remembering that her husband would be proud of the celebration of the Spanish Windsurfer Cup, one of the events he fought so hard for.
The 2026 Spanish Windsurfer Cup – Javier Hidalgo Memorial is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, by delegation of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, and will take place from February 30th to 1st in the bay of Arrecife. With more than a month to go until the event, there are already nearly 80 registered sailors, which suggests that it will be a complete success in terms of participation.
