Neus Bou, new president of the Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx

The new board faces a delicate situation following a court ruling that puts the future of the club’s nautical-social project at risk.

The Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx (CVPA) has elected Neus Bou, an economist and member of the previous board, as the new president of the Andritxola nautical association. The election, held on November 22nd, established the club’s new Board of Directors, with Neus Bou as president; Sebastián Alemany, vice president; Sebastián Martorell, treasurer; Jaime Cloquell, secretary; and Francisco Espinos, Jaime Ferrer, José Pascual, Juan Eugenio Pomar, Llorenç Sanso, Marta González, Miguel Gamundi, Montse Ferrer, and Pedro Pujol as board members. This composition ensures continuity for a leadership team that is deeply familiar with the challenges faced by the sailing club, which has been navigating a complex legal and administrative process that directly threatens its survival.

In an interview with Fibwi TV, the new president, who replaces Ginés Martínez, explained the current situation of the club and outlined the objectives and next steps of the new Board of Directors within a challenging context. As she recalls, the Puerto de Andratx Sailing Club has been in a difficult position for more than 20 years. The issue dates back to 2002, when a public tender was launched to award the management of the port facilities. After the process failed to conclude in 2004, the Balearic Government annulled all public tenders underway at the time. Then, in 2006, the concession for the facilities was granted to the club for a period of 30 years.

At that time, IP3M, the company that had scored highest in the 2002 tender, filed an appeal. It was not until 2017 that the Spanish Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the regulation that had annulled the tenders in 2004, rendering the concession granted to the club invalid. “By that point, we had already spent more than a decade operating under our concession, developing the project, and investing over 10 million euros in modernising the port and creating infrastructure such as the large-yacht pontoon,” said Jaime Cloquell, the club’s new secretary, in the same interview. He added, “That’s why we argued that the ruling could not be enforced as it stood, everything had changed completely. That led to the commissioning of an audit to prepare an economic and financial rebalancing plan to adjust the fee and conditions of the new concession.”

Since then, up to five different resolutions have been issued to enforce the ruling, creating significant legal uncertainty. “The first four reserved enough space to ensure the club’s continuity. But the fifth, which Ports IB considers subsidiary, barely includes the assignment of two pontoons, making it impossible for us to operate,” Cloquell warned. “The reality is that we are left with zero space, and a sailing club without space to carry out its activity is condemned to disappear,” added board member Sebastià Martorell.

The CVPA, a non-profit organisation, has stood out for its strong social commitment. With an annual budget of €600,000 allocated exclusively to sports activities, the Puerto de Andratx Sailing Club is one of the leading community sailing institutions in the Balearic Islands. It offers nautical activities, sailing, swimming, and keeps its facilities open to both members and non-members. “There are no beaches in the port of Andratx, and most of the local children learned to swim in our pools. At Christmas, we provide funding to local associations,” Cloquell pointed out.

For this reason, the club’s board is making a final appeal to the authorities. “We ask the regional government and Ports IB to recognise the social value of sailing clubs and their contribution to the community. Now is the moment to show whether they truly support community sailing,” Bou urged.

A possible solution, Martorell suggested, would be the creation of a “Port Petit,” a dedicated area within the harbour for non-profit organisations. “The ruling must be enforced, but there is surplus space that could allow a new tender to be called for that area, representing around 25% of the port and ensuring the club’s continuity.”

While the final concession fee to be paid by the new operator is still being defined, uncertainty remains. “Our goal is to build bridges, speak with the awarded company and with the institutions, and reach some kind of agreement that allows us to continue carrying out our activities in the port,” concluded Neus Bou.