The president of the Royal Yacht Club of Arrecife, Julio Romero, and his counterpart from the Yacht Club D'Agadir, Ahmed Benouadeen, held last Wednesday the first meeting to launch the VII Arrecife - Agadir Regatta. The sporting event connects the ports of the capital of Lanzarote and Agadir (Morocco) after traveling a distance of 222 nautical miles -411 kilometers- with an approximate duration of 36 hours.
Both leaders were accompanied by the vice president of the RCNA and RFCV Felipe Brito, by the captain of the RCNA cruise fleet, Luis Miguel Cabrera Morales, and by the members of the organizing committee representing both clubs, Antonio Cabrera and Jaime El Alaoui. In addition, the manager of the RCNA Angelines Silva and the head of the nautical section Manuel Torres were also present.
It was on July 27, 1986 that the first edition of the Arrecife - Agadir Regatta began, the sixth on August 27, 2019, the six events have been held under the organization of the Royal Yacht Club of Arrecife and the Yacth Club D'Agadir.
The dates scheduled for the competition and social events to be held in Agadir are set from August 28 to September 1, 2023.
The Arrecife Agadir Regatta was resumed in 2019 after the suspension of the 2018 edition, due to a strong storm on the coasts of Morocco, the event was replaced by a route Arrecife - Gran Tarajal (Fuerteventura).
The last edition held in 2019 had 9 participating boats, with the victory being awarded after the compensation of times to the "Gran Argonauta" of Chedey Weyland, which invested a time of 47:18:45 in the crossing. The history of the sixth edition took an unexpected turn that caused great surprise. Three hours after the arrival at the finish line of the "Antigua Craiova" and in the middle of the sardine offered by the Yacht Club D'Agadir, the Regatta Committee, due to the lack of communication and not receiving a response to the calls, nor having visual contact with the "Gran Argonauta", decides to go in search of it and locate it on the high seas heading towards the demarcation beacon.
After his arrival at the finish line, he was proclaimed the winner. The first boat to cross the finish line was the "Salitre" of Felipe Brito in a time of 42:00:00, finally classifying fourth at 00:49:11 of the winner. In the Open class, the winner was the "Dream" of Felipe del Rosario (RCNGC) with 42:24:00.
The Arrecife - Agadir Regatta was born in 1986 as an idea of the fishing industrialists of Lanzarote coordinated by Jesús Quevedo "Pantaleón" with the ultimate goal of promoting the brotherhood and knowledge of two nearby peoples.
The organization fell to the RCNA, then presided over by the current president Julio Romero, who appointed the Organizing Committee formed by Antonio Cabrera and Jesús Lasso, who had the collaboration of the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Canary Islands, Dr. Brahim Moussa. At the awards ceremony held in Agadir, the representative of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdel Motea, said: "This regatta should be the beginning and the continuity of the friendship between two peoples, as a reflection of the friendship that exists between their majesties Don Juan Carlos I and Hassan II."
In that first edition, the victory went to the "Magie III" of Pedro de Armas, who invested 39:04:10 in making the crossing in 1986.
Without a doubt, this is great news for the sailors and fans of the islands, who in each edition have been received in Agadir as guests of honor, being able to enjoy a wide program of activities and social events parallel to the sports competition.
