Starting signal for the Optimist World Championship

The event brings together 293 athletes from 73 countries and will take place from June 20 to 27 in Moroccan waters.

The Spanish Optimist team is in Tangier (Morocco) to compete in the class World Championship, one of the most important events on the international youth sailing calendar. The national delegation arrived at the venue on June 13th to complete pre-event training and prepare for a competition that will bring together 293 sailors from 73 countries across all continents.

The Spanish team is made up of Nico Bastard (RCM Abra-RSC), Hugo González, Mara Peñalver (CN Mar Menor), as well as the reigning Spanish class champions Daniel Capa, from Club Nàutic s’Estanyol, and Valentina Belso (RCN Torrevieja). The delegation is led by national coach Fernando Alegre and also includes the presence of Ion Chicoy, deputy technical director of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation.

After several days of preparation in Moroccan waters, the team faces the competition with enthusiasm, in an event that will bring together the best Optimist sailors in the world.

“We arrive with a very balanced group and with a strong desire to compete. The sailors have worked very well throughout the season, and these previous days have allowed us to adapt to the conditions of the race course. We know the level will be extremely high, but the team is ready to give its best,” explains Ion Chicoy.

The championship program began yesterday, Thursday the 18th, with official measurements, and today, Friday June 19th, the opening ceremony will take place. The individual races will be held from June 20th to 27th, except for the 23rd and 24th, which are reserved for the team competition. The closing ceremony and prize-giving will take place on Saturday June 27th.

The Optimist World Championship represents each year one of the main development platforms for young sailing talents worldwide and brings together the future stars of the sport in a top-level competition.

The activity of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and its national teams, including the pre-Olympic team and the 2032 team, is made possible thanks to the support of a strong ecosystem of institutions and companies committed to sailing, the sport that has brought Spain the most Olympic gold medals.

The RFEV is sponsored by Iberdrola, Quirónprevención, and Loterías y Apuestas del Estado. Its institutional sponsors are the Spanish Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes), the Spanish Olympic Committee, and Universo Mujer, together with the Port Authority of Santander and the Government of Cantabria (through the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport, Deporte Cantabria, and the Regional Society for Culture and Sport). Official suppliers include Azul Marino, Nippon Express, Murimar Seguros, Marinepool, and Enovis, and institutional partners include ADESP and World Sailing.