WORLD'S BEST SKIPPERS WILL DISPUTE THE SIR THOMAS LIPTON TROPHY MATCH RACE IN JAVEA

Sport » Watersport

Press Release / 2012-03-22 18:12:16

The Javea Nautical Club presented details in the Town Hall of the new edition of Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy Match Race, an international regatta that will see some the best sailors in the international scene such as Bjorn Hansen and Keith Swinton come to Javea.

This race, which counts towards the Campeonato de España Grado 1, will take place along Javea’s coast from Wednesday 28th March to Sunday 1st April from 11 a.m. each day. José Maria Bataller, the marina's technical director, explained that the Lipton event follows the same format as the America’s Cup in which yachts of ten teams of the highest international standard face off one-against-one. The top four teams will then qualify for the semi-finals on Saturday 31st March, which will determine the final two teams to compete against each other on Sunday 1st April.

In order to bring the full excitement of sailing closer to land, the Club Naútico will install a race village on the coast for spectators to follow the race as it unfolds, with live broadcasts by a sailing commentator. This year's race village will be located in the Montgo di Bongo, a popular establishment in the First Montañar.

Another novelty of this year's edition is the yacht club's new website service for keeping track of the race (www.cnjavea.net ), including the GPS location of the boats, commentaries, weather reports and results.

CN Javea's President, Arturo Miquel, has emphasised the tremendous importance of this international sailing competition of the highest level and its impact on Javea, as it brings world-class figures from as far away as Australia to visit the town and see its spectacular bay. Miquel further indicated that, despite being a small club with fewer than a thousand members, each year they dedicate 300,000 Euros to promoting sporting events such as sailing and fishing, as well as community outreach initiatives like the introductory sailing classes that hundreds of local school children benefit from each year.

Javea Mayor Jose Chulvi acknowledged the words of Miquel and praised the Nautical Club for maintaining these activities despite the difficult economic times, while stressing how important the club is to the town, as it contributes to "sporting activities, social activities and tourism ". In this regard, Chulvi pointed out the good timing of this year's Lipton trophy, as it coincides with one of the busiest weekends