The regatta that pits jewels of the sea against each other will be held between 26 and 30 June in the waters of the Bay of Cadiz.
El Puerto de Santa María, June 21st – With the arrival of summer, one of the most emblematic events in the Bay of Cadiz returns to the Bay of Cadiz, bringing together some of the most beautiful and valuable boats in the sea. This is the Puerto Sherry Classic Week, which celebrates its seventh anniversary between 26 and 30 June. Biennial in nature, the Classic Week is an event that was born from the passion for the Sea of the late Pedro Bores and is organised as heir to that legacy by his widow and president of Puerto Sherry, Valle de la Riva, who does not hide her joy on the eve of a new edition, “After thirteen years of biennial celebration, we have managed to consolidate the regatta in the prestigious Mare Nostrum Classic Sailing circuit, ensuring its continuity for many more years to come“.
But it is not easy to organise a regatta whose level of demand is remarkable, given that it involves classic boats that are true jewels of the sea, some of them over a hundred years old. “All regattas are complex, but classic yacht races are even more so. These boats, due to their age and design, are more difficult to manoeuvre. In addition, being part of the Mare Nostrum circuit, where there are prestigious clubs such as the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona or the Club Marítimo de Mahón, the bar is very high. Both the staff of Puerto Sherry (the marina and the hotels) and the Club Náutico Puerto Sherry are committed to this event. There is a magnificent team that has been preparing everything for many months so that everyone can enjoy this regatta“, says De la Riva.
The president of Puerto Sherry faces the event in her dual capacity as organiser and participant, as owner of the Giraldilla, a 1963 boat that belonged to Don Juan de Borbón, which reflects the elegance and technical skill typical of the yachts of its time. “It is much more satisfying to be a participant, but it is also rewarding to welcome the participants as an organiser. Sailing on these boats is magical. The classic boat, because of its weight and design, is usually slower than the normal cruiser of similar size, but the big difference lies in how harmonious they are, how they behave while sailing and, unlike cruisers, the care for beauty on board. As an organiser, welcoming all the participating boats, their owners and crew is also very rewarding for me,” she says.
A distinctive feature of the Puerto Sherry Classic Week is the attention paid to the social side of the event, a tradition in classic yacht racing that has evolved over time. “In the old days all the attention was for the owners, but from the beginning, it was clear to us that the shore events had to be for the owners as well as for the crews, we all form one big family. Nowadays, in all the classic regattas, the social part is for all the participants, which is a good thing. We want them to go home with the feeling that they have had a great experience,” she says.
This year, the presence of the 15M International The Lady Anne and the recovery of the Livia, a boat that sank in Valencia during the DANA Filomena, and which has been recovered and restored in the shipyard that the Fundación de Vela Clásica de España has in Puerto Sherry, add a special emotion to the event. “We are looking forward to seeing Livia sailing again, along with others such as Centinela, Disparate, Gipsy, Guadalmina and Seventy Senda Azul,” he says excitedly.
However, Valle admits that not all his expectations have been met for this edition. “We will miss some of the boats that moor in the Mediterranean and that in many cases have not come for fear of killer whale attacks in the Strait of Gibraltar. This regatta is the start of the regatta season in the Mediterranean and they don’t want to expose themselves to an encounter with them, which will prevent them from doing the full season,” she regrets.
Despite this, she is very satisfied with the participation of more than twenty boats, including such unique vessels as the Germania, one of the most emblematic yachts in nautical history. Built in 1908 in Germany, it stood out for its speed and elegance, and won numerous regattas in its early years. During the First World War, it was captured and sold to various owners, but its legacy in the world of classic sailing remains intact.
In conclusion, Valle de la Riva invites all the citizens of El Puerto de Santa María to visit Puerto Sherry during the days of the regatta. “Puerto Sherry always has its arms open to all the people of El Puerto, and these days, in addition to the leisure activities on offer in the marina, there is the spectacle of seeing these jewels moored on our pontoons and the crews working on their tuning. We are going to place the boats in such a way that people walking around can see them moored, especially the children, who, on contemplating them, with their imagination, can be transported to thousands of adventures“, she concludes.