New Spanish teams for the Soto 40

The Audi MedCup's Soto 40 fleet prepares to do battle in Barcelona over 12-17 September

Spanish boat owner Jesús Turro's new Soto 40 team, will campaign the Argentinian boat Patagonia as www.visitmalta.com, at the finale of the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit, the Conde de Godo Barcelona Trophy Regatta in Barcelona over 12-17 September. On board will be a top Spanish crew including double Olympian Luís Martínez Doreste, top Snipe sailor Alfredo González and top J/80 sailor Javier Padrón.

Patagonia is the boat which has been loaned to aspiring crews by the class president Norberto Alvarez Vitale.

Turro is well known as the owner-skipper behind the Solete and Gramona programmes. He is also a regular participant at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre regatta each year, and a committed competitor on the Spanish cruiser-racer circuit.

www.visitmalta.com will be one of the six-strong fleet of Soto 40s racing off Barcelona. The new boat of Toni Guiu and Àlex Laplaza, www.cruiser-racer.com, which is expected to arrive imminently to be raced on the duo’s native waters. .

Alfredo Mella, one of the crew on www.visitmalta.com team, explains: “The idea started about a a year ago, when we introduced the project to www.visitmalta.com. They liked the idea from the beginning. Malta has the potential and wants to become a sailing destination, and this project perfectly suits that goal."