The historic Rei en Jaume Regatta connects Salou and Santa Ponça once again

The Rei en Jaume Regatta, which will take place from September 10 to 12, will link the municipalities of Salou and Calvià in an offshore race covering approximately 110 nautical miles.

The XXXIX Rei en Jaume Regatta, now in its thirty-ninth edition and scheduled from September 10 to 12, will once again connect the towns of Salou and Santa Ponça, recreating the route that, in 1229, took King James I first to the island of Pantaleu and then to the Mallorcan coast to begin the conquest of Mallorca.

The regatta was presented this morning at the Calvià Town Hall, chaired by Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual; the Councilor for Economy, Procurement, and Sports of Calvià, Javier Tascón; the President of the Santa Ponça Nautical Club, Luis Nigorra; the Manager of the Santa Ponça Nautical Club, Javier Arrizabalaga; the Director of the Rei en Jaume Regatta, Manuel Nadal de Uhler; the Commercial Director of Port Adriano, Nani Mas; and the Director of Enregata, Andrés Oliva.

Organized since 1986 by the Santa Ponça Nautical Club and the Salou Nautical Club, with the collaboration of Port Adriano, Port Tarraco, the Cambrils Nautical Club, and the town halls of Calvià and Salou, the event combines history and tradition in one of the few offshore sailing competitions that remain on the national calendar.

The Mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, highlighted that this edition will be very special for him because “I will have the opportunity to participate aboard a sailboat and retrace the route taken by King James I, commemorating the conquest of Mallorca.”

Manuel Nadal de Uhler explained that the fleet will include boats with ORC measurement certificates, Classics, A2, and Solitary classes. Rankings will be established by class and group, and a club ranking may also be created with teams comprising one boat under 50 feet and one over 50 feet. “The expected participation is between 15 and 18 cruising boats, ready for an offshore race of approximately 110 miles, starting in Salou and finishing at the Freu de Dragonera,” noted the competition director.

In addition to awarding the best in the cruising categories, the Rei en Jaume Regatta will present a special prize for any boat that breaks the crossing record, currently held by the boat Peregrin, skippered by Gloria Fluxá, with a time of 13 hours and 48 minutes.

Luis Nigorra thanked the Salou Nautical Club, sponsors, collaborators, and “especially the Calvià Town Hall, because without their support, organizing the competition would be very difficult, and it is an important part of the Rei en Jaume festivities in Calvià. We want to keep the regatta alive, one of the oldest offshore races in the Mediterranean, as in four years we will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the conquest of Mallorca.”

In the previous edition, the winners were Modul, skippered by Félix Comas, who won in real-time and corrected time with a mark of 19 hours and 9 minutes; Esther, in the Solitary class; Diabolic, which won in ORC A2; and Falutx, which took first place in the Promotion class.

The Director of Enregata, Andrés Oliva, emphasized that the event is part of the Ausmar Regatta Circuit, which “connects competitions in Valencia, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands to reward the most consistent sailors. The circuit consists of five regattas: La Ruta de la Sal, La Ruta de la Tramuntana, the Bay of Pollença, the Rei en Jaume, which will be the fourth race, and the Golden Cup of Badalona, which will conclude the circuit.”

The sporting program of the XXXIX Rei en Jaume Regatta will begin on Wednesday, September 10, with the skippers’ meeting and a welcome dinner for participants at CN Salou. On Thursday, September 11, the participating boats will gather in the bay of the Catalan town, from where the start is scheduled. The awards ceremony will take place on Friday, September 12, at Port Adriano.

The progress of the regatta can also be followed live on the Santa Ponça Nautical Club website, www.cnsp.es, thanks to the sailing-tracking system, which equips all participating boats with GPS devices to emit a constant signal throughout the crossing, ensuring greater safety during the race.