Behind the Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup: logistics, coordination, and teamwork

Puerto Portals has once again placed itself on the map of international sailing with the staging of the Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious regattas on the class calendar, which brought together more than 200 sailors from 17 countries in Mallorca aboard 65 boats.

Beyond the competition on the water, the event highlighted the port’s organizational capacity and its strategy to establish itself as a venue for major nautical events throughout the year.

With the aim of showing everything that goes on behind an event of this scale, Álvaro Irala, captain of Puerto Portals, and Elena Seijas, Director of Marketing and Communication, visited the studios of Pasión por el Mar to explain first-hand the complex organization involved in an event of this level, both at sea and on land.

A strategic commitment to the Dragon class

The arrival of the Dragon class at Puerto Portals is no coincidence, but the result of a strategy launched almost a decade ago to restore the port’s sporting prominence. “In 2014, I arrived at Puerto Portals as director and captain, and one of the main goals was to boost and revive sailing in the port,” explained Álvaro Irala, captain of Puerto Portals.

After analyzing different options, the choice of the Dragon class responded both to its sporting characteristics and to how well it fit with the philosophy of the port. “We chose this class because of its design, its crews, the type of owner, and everything that surrounds the Dragon,” he said.

The strategy began with a small pilot regatta which, over the years, has evolved into making Puerto Portals one of the leading venues for this class, especially during the winter months with the Dragon Winter Series, also helping to reduce the seasonality of tourist activity.

The Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup is one of the highest-category regattas on the international circuit, which means it comes with a very high level of organizational demand. “It is a Grade Zero regatta, one of the most important of the year, and it is not easy to be awarded the right to host it,” Irala stressed.

The International Dragon Association (IDA) is responsible for awarding the event, which requires years of prior planning and a proven track record as a host venue, as well as compliance with strict technical and logistical requirements.

A logistical challenge on and off the water

Organizing an event of this scale requires constant coordination between departments and a great ability to adapt to unexpected situations, especially in a sport so heavily influenced by the weather. “It is a team effort involving the entire port, where coordination and communication are essential,” said Elena Seijas, Director of Marketing and Communication at Puerto Portals.

The preparatory work is key to ensuring success during the competition. “The more meticulous the preparation, the better able we are to deal with the unexpected issues that always arise,” she added.

One of the main challenges has been logistics management, especially bearing in mind the characteristics of the Dragon class, whose boats are transported by road. “Logistically, it is not easy to accommodate nearly 70 boats inside the port. You have to clear a lot of space and coordinate the entire launching and assembly process,” Irala explained.

In this case, the organization involved coordinating around 50 people, between sea and land teams, to ensure the smooth running of a six-day regatta.

This is compounded by the complexity of integrating the event into the port’s usual activity, which combines nautical use, commercial activity, and a continuous calendar of events.

The onshore experience, a key part of the event

If the competition is the main attraction at sea, on land the organization plays a fundamental role in completing the sailors’ experience.

From the Marketing and Communication department, led by Elena Seijas, the entire support structure accompanying the regatta was designed. “We organize everything on land, from preparing the space to the official events, meals, and prize-givings,” Seijas explained.

Among the new features of this edition was the installation of a large marquee to host participants and organizers. “For the first time, we set up a tent in a square where we had never done anything like that before. Of course, we fitted it out with the necessary furniture, a stage, a photocall, as well as sound and lighting equipment,” she detailed.

The aim was to provide a complete experience that went beyond the competition itself. “We are talking about catering, because in this type of regatta we offer everything from breakfast service to sailors’ meals when the teams return to shore and can enjoy that moment of food and drink together with the rest of the participants and the organization. And of course, all the prize-giving ceremonies that take place throughout the regatta,” she commented, adding that “we have received many messages of thanks and congratulations, which shows that the work has been worth it.”