Everything is ready for the 22nd New Year’s Regatta – Kim Lythgoe Memorial, one of the most consolidated events on the European winter calendar, which will constitute the sporting highlight of the season in Andalusia.
The activity will officially begin this Saturday, December 27 with the opening … from the regatta office, a prelude to the competition in the water which will take place between December 28 and 30. It is organized by the Andalusian Sailing Federation (FAV) and the Technological Center Specialized in Sailing Sports (CETDV) of the Bay of Cádiz.
A team of more than 30 professionals will ensure the security and technical organization of an event that managed to attract 230 athletes from a dozen countries and four autonomous communities. The fleet will be spread across three racing zones to compete in the iQFOil, Waszp, ILCA (4, 6 and 7), Raceboard, Techno and 420 classes.
The participants’ poster combines Olympic experience and youth. The big reference will be Pilar González Lamadrid (CN Puerto Sherry). The current Spanish champion and Olympic representative in Paris 2024 in the iQFOiL class competes at home already immersed in the new cycle towards Los Angeles 2028. In this same class, Antonio Medina (RC El Candado) from Malaga stands out, who faces his last regatta as a junior after achieving a top 8 in the world championship, before moving to the senior category.
The Raceboard class will be a showcase of Andalusian power, with a participant list including current international champions. The young Ignacio Fernández and Eloísa Tarancón (CV Dársena), champions of Spain and the Junior World, stand out; alongside established figures such as Sevillians Curro Manchón and Borja Carracedo, or the world third, María del Mar Lara.
For her part, in the Techno class, all eyes will be on local Olivia Sánchez. After winning the titles of world, European and Spanish champion in the under-15 category, she will defend the Andalusian flag by competing in the under-17 category.
The ILCA 4 class is presented as the largest, reinforced by the presence of sailors from Canada, Hungary and Morocco. In ILCA 6, the level will be set by members of the CEEDA program, such as Raquel Retamero and Roberto Aguilar, both members of the national team. In addition, the spectacular Waszp class repeats for the second year, with Sol López from Cádiz, winner of the Spanish Cup, as the main favorite.
The sporting importance of the event is maximum, since the 22nd New Year’s Regatta will decide the Andalusian Championships of ILCA 4, ILCA 7 and iQFOiL, in addition to bringing into play the Andalusian Cups of the Raceboard, Techno, 420, ILCA 6 and Waszp classes, thus closing the regional ranking of the year.
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