Sanxenxo to host world championship

Pedro Campos announces his club will host the IMS 670 Worlds this year

The Real Club Náutico Sanxenxo has been chosen by the Real Federación Española de Vela (RFEV) (the Spanish Royal Sailing Federation) to organise the next IMS 670 World Championship. The RFEV made the decision after Spain was designated by the Offshore Racing Council (ORC) and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to host the World Championships for the class.

In 2007 the RCN de Sanxenxo will once again be on the international stage, having organized in 2005 the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the Vaurien and Cadet World Championships, and six editions of the Desafío Audi since 2001.

The date for the IMS 670 World Championship has not yet been finalised, but both the RCN de Sanxenxo, and the corresponding federations involved are considering the month of September; around the time of the 'Presidente de la Xunta' Trophy; as the perfect moment in the calendar to bring together a fleet of world class boats in Galicia.

"It really is great news," said Pedro Campos, President of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo. "As always the club is looking for championships that will help to develop our sport and at the same time diversify the seasonal tourism that is predominant in Galicia in general, and is particularly the case in Sanxenxo. I would like to thank the Spanish Sailing Federation that has once again supported and trusted in our ability for organisation and expansion.

"As well as the Volvo Ocean Race, in the last few years we have also hosted over a dozen Spanish Championships and two World Championships, and I am absolutely convinced that both the Club, and all the related Galician institutions will meet the challenge presented by a championship of this calibre perfectly."

The IMS 670 class is currently booming in Europe, and involves both professional and amateur crews on sailing yachts certified with the IMS measurements for the class.

The world title is currently held by a Galician boat sailing for both the Club Náutico de Málpica and the Real Club Náutico de La Coruña: Carpantxo , owned by skipper Jesús Pintos from La Coruña.

Other Galician boats such as the Pérez Canal brothers’ Ourense, Javier Gándara’s Rías Baixas, Carmelo Puertas’ Opecen Inmobiliaria, Alberto Moro’s Nacional Suiza, José Duran’s Terras Gauda, Willy Alonso’s Castrosua and Pedro Campos’ movistar will be the main local teams competing in the fleet.

The other major national candidates include teams such as Olympic champion José Mª Van der Ploeg’s Turismo de Madrid, Iñaki Castañer’s Ono from Santander, the two Andalusian entries Quum Cap Cana owned by Sergio Llorca and Daniel Cuevas’ Card & Oil, Alessandro Ferrari’s Aquasonic from Valencia; the winner of the last Copa del Rey; and Ignacio Montes’ Estrella Damm from Huelva.

As for the foreign participants, geographical proximity makes the Portuguese the most numerous in the fleet, along with the French, Danish and Italians who will also meet in Palma in August, to dispute the Copa del Rey.

Campos is optimistic about participation: "We believe that we are touching on fifty teams, so we can extend the season as has been the case with the Desafio Audi in the month of September.

"Today we can start to work towards really promoting the World Championship, so that national and international teams alike have the opportunity, if not already so, to discover Sanxenxo, as was the case with the Volvo Ocean Race."