He has barely 25 partners and works only half a seasonfrom May 15 to October 15. Seen this way, it is surprising that the Candle Ballena Alegre Club is an international reference. It is in the organization of events and for its sustainability program. Pep Subirats, sports director of this entity located in the Costa Brava Catalan, is part of the key to this success. It serves me an afternoon, while preparing candidacies to host world and Europeans.
The Model of the Vela Ballena Alegre Club, which has just turned 25, is quite original. Heads in the Alegre Ballena, a Camping with luxury bungalowsAquatic Park, spa center, numerous sports courts and direct access to the beach. “It has cost us enough to explain our model,” The resort is our collaborator, and the fact that it is a private company helps us to capture level events, which is our main focus. This model also works in Murcia, with hotels that have beach and host events. The whole event of the event is housed in the camping, where we also have the maintenance. Events participants can stay here or outside the resort». Without a doubt, it is a great advantage to stay in the same place as the championship, and the environment that is created among the participants is special. The boys and girls who took part in the 2023 Optimist World Cup, whose organization by the Vela Ballena Alegre Club has been widely praised, can attest to this.
«We were a group of windsurf practitioners who spent the holidays on the whale, and We decided to mount the club to organize competitions», Says the sports director. It all started with the Alegre Surf Concentration, a meeting of Windsurfista friends, which resulted in the Catalunya Costa Brava Grand The last two editions the event had to cancel the Covid pandemic. «What marked was that for 20 years and uninterruptedly we welcomed the World Circuit of Windsurf, and from this experience in 2010 we put the event capture program in Macha. In 2011 we organized that of 29er, and since then we have almost mounted a European or a World Cup, ”explains Subats. In addition to the Windsurf, beach disciplines have been regular tenants, such as the Catamaranes Formula 18 and Hobie 16. «The misgivings of some classes towards the sand of the beach are already overcome -Argumenta-. Proof of this is the Optimist World Cup. The beach is a solution to the space problems that ports have to host great events, for example we see it in the Princess Sofía de Mallorca trophy, where classes such as Ilca, 470, 49er and Nacra 17 leave the beach ».
Wind and social component
The wind is one of the keys to this organizational success. «As in Palma Bay, In summer in the Gulf of Roses the thermal wind enters like a clockbut it is true that in recent years the intensity has dropped, effect of climate change. Five years ago we used to have intensities close to 18 knots every afternoon, now we are more about 14 ». In addition, to Subirats the social component in a championship is very important, something that they can offer in the whale: “In a 10 championship they will win, but for the rest the experience is more, fun, learn and continue evolving.”
The 2023 Optimist World Cup, which has contributed to consolidate the prestige of the whale in the organization of events, illustrates this differentiating point very well. Along with the typical social acts, the organization set up an online game and even composed a song. But the most important thing is that he turned the event into a awareness platform for climate actionwith a complete program of actions based on the 2030 Agenda, including restoration and conservation projects of marine biodiversity, responsible management of waste and environmental workshops.
“The Alegre Ballena Camping is a leader in sustainability for many years,” says Subirats, “as a result of her privileged location in the Empordà Wetlands Natural Parkand hence we follow your model. For example, we adapt the Boat Park area to preserve the nesting zones of the skateboard, a protected bird, and take advantage of the medals of the championship to disseminate the ruins of empurias, one of the most emblematic historical enclaves of the region ». This program was recognized internationally when selected as 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award Award. In addition, the club has been invited by the International Federation to present its project in the Sustainability Sessions of this year. “Our commitment is based on an inspiring model of the global change, that is, we act locally collaborating with local projects, which are a replicable model for other clubs to generate lasting global impacts,” explains the sports director of the Vela Ballena Alegre Vela Club.
Subirats are presenting candidacies for future events, and In 2025 the Wingfoil Youth World Cup has already confirmedbecause “it fits with the strategy of the club to bet on young people and is a modadlity with a lot of future, which has evolved very fast and is positioning well to be Olympic in the future.” As in the rest of the events, natural heritage will be protected with projects such as Posidonia Grows, for the recovery of the Postidonia beaches at Cabo de Creus.
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