Balearic assault on the Andalusian Olympic Week

More than 300 athletes, around a hundred coaches and staff members, 22 countries and four major classes will come together in an edition marked by institutional recognition of Andalusian sailing. The regatta will serve as the Spanish Cup for the iQFOil, Techno and ILCA 7 classes, the Spanish Wingfoil Championship and the Andalusian Cup for ILCA 4 and ILCA 6.

The 21st Andalusian Olympic Week will be held from today, Thursday 26th of February, until Sunday 1st of March, in the waters of the Bay of Cádiz. It is organized by the Andalusian Sailing Federation and the Bay of Cádiz Specialized Sailing High-Performance Centre (CETDV), with the collaboration of the Andalusian regional government, the Cádiz Provincial Council, the City Council of El Puerto de Santa María through the El Puerto con la Vela program, and Puerto Sherry.

The regatta takes place during a particularly significant week for Andalusian sailing, following the recent awarding of the Andalusia Sports Flag to the CETDV and the 2025 Andalusia Sports Award to the Andalusian Sailing Federation as Best Sports Manager, recognitions that reinforce Andalusia’s role as a national and international reference in nautical sports.

The 2026 edition will bring together 271 sailors from 22 countries, accompanied by 44 coaches, bringing direct participation to 315 athletes, not including families and team members. The competition includes four major classes, iQFOil, ILCA, Wingfoil and Techno, and a total of twelve categories, with both male and female representation in all of them.

Notably, 28 sailors from the Balearic Islands will take part, representing Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Club Nàutic s’Arenal, Club Náutico Santa Eulalia, Reial Club Nàutic del Port de Pollença and the Balearic Sailing Federation.

The Wingfoil class will debut in the program, reflecting how the regatta continues to adapt to the evolution and current trends in sailing, consolidating Andalusian Olympic Week as a forward-looking event. The competition will also have strong qualifying significance: Spanish Cup for iQFOil, Techno and ILCA 7; Spanish Wingfoil Course Racing Championship; Andalusian Cup for ILCA 4 and ILCA 6; and a regatta included in the Spanish Olympic Circuit for iQFOil and women’s ILCA 6.

The program includes three days of racing (27 and 28 February and 1 March), with a maximum of nine races for all classes except iQFOil, which may sail up to 15 heats, and Wingfoil, with a maximum of 20 races.

To allow simultaneous competition across all classes, four racing areas will be set up: iQFOil, directed by Gonzalo Pérez; Wingfoil, led by Javier Blanco; ILCA, under Ángel Ruiz; and Techno, with Carlos Muñoz as principal race officer. The race committee, together with land and sea personnel, exceeds 50 people, supported by marina, cleaning and security services.

Among the top favorites are Antonio Medina (RC El Candado) and Roberto Aguilar (CNM Benalmádena), returning home as newly crowned Spanish champions in iQFOil and ILCA 7, respectively. Both have the chance to achieve a coveted national double if they win the Spanish Cup on home waters.

In ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, athletes from the CEEDA program of the Andalusian Sailing Federation and the regional government will compete. In ILCA 7, Aguilar will face strong external competition led by Catalans Joan Fargas and Quim Ferrer, and Canary Islands sailor Nehuen Ambrosini. For all ILCA classes, Andalusian Olympic Week will also mark the starting point for shaping the Andalusian teams for 2027.

In women’s iQFOil, Olympic sailor Pilar Lamadrid (CN Puerto Sherry), already preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, is among the favorites against international rivals from the Czech Republic and Hungary, and Spanish competitors such as Balearic sailor Bárbara Winau, from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, and Andalusia’s Arancha Sahuquillo (CN Sevilla). Among younger sailors, Lucía Guardiola (CN Puerto Sherry), part of the RFEV’s 2032 program, stands out alongside rivals such as Valencia’s Martina Mantovani.

In Techno, the fleet will include current regional champions Curro Simbad Llorca, Olivia Sánchez, Juan Meléndez and Julia García, alongside strong international representation from Hungary and Latvia, and teams from regions such as the Balearics, Catalonia, Galicia and Valencia. Notable Balearic names include Mallorcan windsurfer Joshua Castro, from Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, 2025 Techno 293 U15 world champion, and Ana Villar, from Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, winner of the Techno 293 U15 girls’ title at the Comunitat Valenciana Olympic Week Youth held recently in Torrevieja.

The Wingfoil class promises to be one of the highlights of the program, featuring Nía Suardiaz (CN Sevilla), world and Spanish champion, alongside Olympic sailor Ángel Granda from the Canary Islands, Ancor Yone Sosa (Fuerteventura) and Jeremy Rodríguez, among others.

After an initial day dedicated to final training sessions and equipment measurement, the qualifying races will begin on Friday 27th of February from 13:00, continuing over three intense days until Sunday 1st of March, when titles and final standings will be decided.

The 21st Andalusian Olympic Week once again places El Puerto de Santa María and the Bay of Cádiz at the center of the international sailing map, consolidating an event that combines top-level sport, international projection, innovation and economic and social impact for the region.