We close a very successful year for Spanish sailing. Diego Botín and Florian Trittel’s gold in Paris 2024 and the third place of the Sail Team BCN women’s team in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup – a notable success considering the team’s low budget – are the top of a very talented pyramid. It also includes Támara Echegoyen, Álex Pella, Pilar Pasanau and Jan Palou, to name some of the protagonists we talk about in this issue.
However, despite this potential, we are faced with a worrying reality: the lack of large sponsorships that promote ambitious projects and allow our athletes to reach their highest level. It is one of the claims that Echegoyen makes in the interview that we dedicated to him on the occasion of the announcement of his farewell to the Olympic career. After 20 years dedicated to the Olympic dream, the great sailor is reflecting on the path she will take now, and already has several offers on the table. I wish him the best and I know that he will choose wisely, guided by the spirit of improvement that characterizes him and the passion that this sport inspires in him, but it would be a shame if we lost this ‘home’ talent in favor of more succulent opportunities outside of our borders. It wouldn’t be the first case. The flight of talent is a real threat to Spanish sailing.
It is essential that Spanish companies understand the value of investing in a sport like sailing. Beyond high competition, which transmits values such as effort, improvement and teamwork, this sport promotes sustainability and environmental protection. When sailing, our athletes connect deeply with nature, in a respectful and balanced relationship with the marine environment. These values, aligned with the current concerns of society, make sailing an ideal platform to project a brand image committed to the future of the planet.
Many international firms have understood this. The large companies behind the 40 participants in the Vendée Globe (none of them Spanish, by the way) are a good example of this. With the financial security of sponsorships, some of these teams have a long-term sports program, and are already registered for The Ocean Race Europe, which is organized next summer. Will there be a Spanish team on the starting line of this regatta? Or in the transatlantic race next year, or in the 2027 round the world race? The president of The Ocean Race, Richard Brisius, reveals that two Spanish groups are trying it.
In this context, Pilar Pasanau’s story is inspiring. You are about to start the Globe 5.80 Transat, a transatlantic race aboard a self-built 5.80 meter boat. His dream is to then take part in the Mini Globe Race, the solo round-the-world race of this class. However, despite his talent and passion, Pasanau faces the same challenge as many other Spanish athletes: the lack of sponsors. One more example of insufficient investment in our sport.
#Invest #talent
