| MALAGA, SPAIN-(3-4-2003) Next Friday, the 11th April, is the start of the Spanish Yachting Championship – Breitling Trophy, which is considered to be one of the most important in the IMS system in Europe. Organised by the Real Club Mediterráneo, the Ciudad de Málaga -Costa del Sol Race will be the first in a series of races, which includes the Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy (Barcelona), Copa del Rey (Palma de Mallorca) or Desafío Audi (Sanxenxo), leading up to this prestigious trophy being awarded.
The leading sailors from along the Spanish coast have confirmed that they will be taking part in this race, which kicks off the Spanish yachting season. The BESST (Banco Espirito Santo Sailing Team), a team that has headhunted Team Alinghi’s Jochen Schuemann and Joan Vila, the strategist and electronics coordinator respectively, which recently won the America’s Cup against Team New Zealand, is among the teams that will be on the starting line of this first race in the Championship in the IMS 500 Group, with a GPH between 510 and < 595 sec/mile.
The `CAM`, belonging to the Olympic medallists Fernando León and Kiko Sánchez Luna and which usually has HRH the Prince of Asturias at the helm, the `TAU-Cerámica` owned by the Hollywood actor, Antonio Banderas, and the `Azur de Puig` which is usually helmed by HRH the Infanta Cristina, will be some of the other boats on the starting line.
The IMS 600 Group, with a GPH of between 595 and < 650 sec/mile, will include boats of such high standing as the Fórum Filatélico. Once again, Gonzalo Araújo will be at the helm. Gonzalo won the Spanish Championship in 2001 and was not only second in the Spanish Championship last year, but also ensured that Fórum Filatélico was runner up in the European Championship in the racing yacht category in the Audi European Championship (Punta Ala - Italy). Other boats competing in Malaga will include the “Zurich” with the round-the-world sailor, Jan Santana, or Rafael Díaz’s `Andalucía S.H.U`, which will both be aiming to lead the Spanish Championship right from the start.
The organisers of the Ciudad de Málaga Race have scheduled racing for between the 11th and 13th of April and a windward/leeward course is planned.
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