LUXURY LIVING SPORT u
THE SPORTING
SIDE OF SOTOGRANDE
This year for the first time , the international high speed catamaran race came to Sotogrande . This illustrious destination was the fourth of five European stopovers which included Riva del Garda and Malcesine , Italy ; Copa del Rey MAPFRE , Palma de Mallorca , Spain ; Marseille One Design ; and a special event , the Alps Challenge in Gmunden , Lake Traunsee , Austria .
Here we interviewed Christian Scherrer , Tour Director for GC32 Racing Tour
WHY IS SOTOGRANDE ’ S LOCATION SO GOOD FOR SAILORS ?
Sotogrande is a good location for yacht races as it is well situated in the south of Spain and convenient for airports . For sailors the race area comes with the picturesque backdrop of Gibraltar and there is the potential for good gradient wind from the Atlantic or a thermal breeze during the summer months . As a venue Sotogrande is used to hosting major sports events in golf and polo so adding grand prix yacht racing to its sports portfolio is a natural progression .
DOES THIS KIND OF REGATTA BRING A LOT OF OUTSIDE INTEREST TO THE DESTINATIONS IN WHICH THEY TAKE PLACE ?
With any sports event , the venue plays a key role and can be integral to the event ’ s success . Yachting is like Formula 1 and golf , in having unique courses from venue to venue . As a result the venue and , in particular , its weather , always feature more prominently in the ‘ story ’ of a regatta , and thereby generating more interest .
HOW LARGE IS THE FOLLOWING ?
The following of the GC32 Racing Tour is principally European but there is also considerable interest in it globally . This is partly due to the ‘ names ’ that compete on it , including many top individuals in sailing who have won Olympic medals and Round the World races . It is also because GC32s are foiling catamarans that sail ‘ above ’ the water , are among the fastest sailing yachts in the world and are related to the type of boats used to compete in yacht racing ’ s biggest and oldest event , the America ’ s Cup ( hence why several America ’ s Cup teams have been unofficially using the circuit for training ).
It is also worth pointing out that the demographics for those following sailing - the high net worth individuals and the international spread - are very similar to golf and , in particular , polo and so are a particularly good fit for Sotogrande .
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