60 students from 12 Spanish universities participated in the championship  regattas that took place in the bay of Calpe from 25th to the 28th of Abril. The competition itself consisted of a sailing tournament among the most regaled universities in Spain. This year’s tournament was organised by the University of Valencia  and the Spanish University Sporting Committee in collaboration with the Calpe Royal Yacht Club.

“As hosts, we have closed out this championship in a very positive light,” the director of Uvesports, Ana María Gómez explains. “The great effort made by the sailing team, that silver metal that tastes so sweet, in addition to the labor of the technical team of the UV Sports Department  that worked tirelessly in organising the competition so that the athletes y the technical staff of the universities could have an enjoyable experience, all of this has made this national university championship a complete and utter success.”

The UV sailing crew, lead by coach Juan Calvo, is made up of UV students Álvaro Céspedes González (Medicine), Ella Hemeryck (Business Administration & Management), Justo Martínez Terrasa  (Odontology), Alejandra Sabeño Daurel (Law & Criminology) and Ignacio Toronjo Lobo (Odontology).

 “The UV team was brilliant, very cohesive. In the water they told us that we were the best in terms of manoeuvres, in changing sails, which is where the group’s cohesion can truly be seen,” said Juan Calvo. “In a racing boat, communication among all members of the crew is of the utmost importance, as the crew members are no longer individuals, but rather a part of a whole. Each one has his or her post, but they all must be able to adapt and know who needs to help whom because raising a sail two seconds faster could help the boat advance 10-15 meters, and that is critical in a competition,” the coach adds.

The excellent weather conditions and the characteristics of the Bay of Calpe made for a superb competition and made it possible for all 24 scheduled races to take place. The competition consisted of fleet races in which all teams competed simultaneously aboard Tom 28 class sailboats measuring 8.5 metres in length. It was a close competition that wasn’t decided until the last leg of the race with four boats gunning for the metal.  In the end, the University of Murcia crew won the championship with the University of Valencia in second place and third place occupied by the University Pompeu Fabra.

• Visit the webpage of Spanish University Sailing Championship

• More news about the CEU at the UVesports webpage