The Club Nàutic S’Arenal honors its youth program and elite sailors at the Nit de la Vela

The Club Nàutic S’Arenal (CNA) held a new edition of the traditional Nit de la Vela this Saturday, an evening in which the club brought together sailors, coaches, families, collaborators, and members of the board of directors at the Club Restaurant to pay tribute to the effort and sporting achievements of the season, as well as to educational values that go beyond competition.

The gala, hosted by Bárbara Besalduch, a professional closely linked to the nautical world and deeply connected to the sporting and social life of Club Nàutic S’Arenal, once again highlighted, before nearly 200 attendees, the three pillars that structure the CNA’s sailing section: the competition team, event organization, and the sailing school. In this regard, special emphasis was placed on the year-round work of the sailing school, which extends beyond summer courses, its collaboration with educational centers, and its participation in initiatives such as Setmana Blava, which enabled 440 students to take part in activities related to the sea and sailing, in addition to 38 days of Sail&Fun school programs.

The CNA’s Nit de la Vela was attended by various authorities and institutional representatives, including the Councillor for Sports of the Llucmajor City Council, Rafael Amengual, accompanied by Catalina Darder; the President of the Balearic Sailing Federation, José Ramón Picó, and María Garau, President and Vice President of the CNA; as well as Mariano Cazador, Commodore of Club Nàutic S’Arenal, and Ferran Muniesa, Managing Director of the CNA.

During the Nit de la Vela, sailors who delivered an outstanding 2025 season were honored, with benchmark results at regional, national, and international levels. As in previous years, the club highlighted and rewarded core CNA values such as consistency, progress, sportsmanship, and academic performance. Reaffirming its commitment to holistic development, the club awarded key sporting values. With awards presented by Álex Durán, Nico Servera was recognized as the most consistent sailor; Mia Palmer for her progress and development; Stijn Oosterhaven for sportsmanship; and Carlota de Villalonga for best academic results. In addition, the technical team was acknowledged for its work throughout the season, with awards presented by Fátima Reyes. The Coach of the Year and Instructor of the Year awards went to Cata Homar and Toni Rotger, respectively.

In the grassroots categories, Optimist and Techno sailors were recognized, with awards presented by coaches Joan Carles Cardona and Cata Homar. In Optimist, Xuacu García and Stijn Oosterhaven were honored. In Techno, recognition went to Mariona Moragues, Fernando Terrasa, Nico Servera, Joan Servera, Hugo Quesada, and Alba Patiño. In the IQFOIL and 420 classes, awards were presented with the participation of Nando Rodríguez and Alex Tormo. In IQFOIL, the honorees were Enric Patiño, Jorge Ruiz, Caterina Tomàs, Patricia Orosa, Miquel Servera, and Francisco Bleda. In the 420 class, recognition was given to Neus Fernández and Martina Gomila, Nicolás Montoya and Lucas Montoya, Nicola Sadler, Amalia Coll, Sean Sadler, Asier Jáudenes, José Terrasa, and Hugo Rodríguez.

The 2026 Nit de la Vela also devoted a special segment to athletes linked to pre-Olympic and development teams, highlighting their achievements as inspiration for new generations. The club recognized Conrad Konitzer for his gold medal at the Spanish Championship and fifth place at the 49er World Championship; Paula Barceló for her gold medal at the 49erFX World Championship, becoming the first Olympic sailor to win a World Championship both as crew and skipper; and Marta Cardona for her gold medals at the Mixed 470 World and European Championships, as well as for receiving the World Sailing Young World Sailor of the Year award. Andrea Torres was also highlighted for her silver medal at the Spanish Championship and gold at the U23 Spanish Championship in IQFOIL; Bernat Tomàs for silver at the Spanish Championship in the IQFOIL class; and Bárbara Winaw for bronze at the Spanish Championship in the U23 IQFOIL category.

Mariano Cazador, Commodore of the CNA, and Ricard Alabau, Sailing Board Member, were the members of the board responsible for awarding gold badges to athletes who have reached top-level milestones. Among the recipients were Paula Barceló, Marta Cardona, Nicola Sadler, Neus Fernández and Martina Gomila, Amalia Coll, and Lucas and Nicolás Montoya, for their international results in the 420 class, including world and European titles in junior and under-17 categories.

The gala also included recognition of the high level of women’s sailing. The CNA congratulated Andrea Perelló and Maria Perelló, 2025 Spanish Champions of the Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League, competing with the Real Club Náutico de Valencia. Likewise, the bronze medal achieved by the CNA team at the Copa del Rey was highlighted; the team consisted of Nicola Sadler, Aina Garau, Marisa Vicens, Marta Cardona, and Blanca Company. In addition, the CNA wished to acknowledge Javier Chacartegui’s achievement of a silver medal in the Corinthian category at the Dragon World Championship, held in Vilamoura in 2025, one of the most prestigious events in the class at international level.

The Nit de la Vela concluded with an address by the CNA President, José Ramón Picó, who congratulated the club family for the work accomplished and encouraged everyone to face the new season with enthusiasm and commitment, highlighting “the continuity and pride of seeing CNA sailors learn to sail at the sailing school and, over the years, go on to compete at the highest level. It is undoubtedly one of our greatest sources of pride. That is the path we want to continue nurturing and strengthening. That is why the Board of Directors will keep working to ensure the Club continues to grow, supporting grassroots sport and accompanying our athletes at every stage of their development.”