Barcelona World Race 05.12.2017

05.12.2017

The new Barcelona World Race to be unveiled

The fourth edition of the round the world regatta, starting and finishing in Barcelona is in preparation, packed full of new sporting and organisational features, including a format change with a stopover in Sydney and a new Regatta Control Centre in Barcelona.

Date: Wednesday 13th December 2017
Time: 15:45 International presentation of the Barcelona World Race 2018/19
Location: FNOB headquarters – Moll de Llevant, 1. 08039 Barcelona (opposite the W Hotel)

Next Wednesday, 13th December at 15:45 (local time), the FNOB (Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona) will host the official media presentation of the Barcelona World Race 2018/19, starting in Barcelona on the 12th of January 2019.

This thrilling race, which turned ten years old this November 2017, has put Barcelona on the transoceanic yacht racing map, as the regatta shifts onto an even more international course for its fourth edition.

The Notice of Race, the framework document for the development of this race, prepared by Race Director Jacques Caraës and his race management team will be outlined at the presentation. The new rules see the introduction of significant modifications for Barcelona’s double-handed round-the-world challenge. For the first time, the IMOCA 60s will complete a circumnavigation of the globe across two legs (Barcelona-Sydney-Barcelona). The Australian stopover will also be an opportunity for teams to substitute a co-skipper, which will intensify the competitive edge and push the yachts closer to the limit for the entire route.

We look forward to seeing you at the presentation of the Barcelona World Race, where details of the new format will be given, as well as the location of the Race Control Centre in Barcelona and some of the names of the teams signed up so far will also be announced.

PROGRAMME

– 15:45 – Press conference to present the Barcelona World Race 2018/19

Speakers:
o Julia Casanueva, President of the Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV)
o Antoine Mermod, President of the IMOCA Class
o Xosé-Carlos Fernández, CEO of the FNOB
o Jacques Caraës, Race Director of the Barcelona World Race

The presentation will also be attended by skippers, team captains and representatives of sporting institutions.

Please RSVP and to arrange interviews or request further information please contact:

Daniel Ferrando: media@barcelonaworldrace.org
Irene García-Arnau (Arenalia) + 34 687 69 57 10 · igarciaarnau@arenalia.com
Lluís Gubern (Arenalia) + 34 699 56 39 54 · lgubern@arenalia.com

About the Barcelona World Race

The Barcelona World Race is a double-handed (two crew – skipper and co-skipper) round the world regatta, starting and finishing in Barcelona, with two legs: Barcelona – Sydney – Barcelona. The event is a highlight in the Barcelona sporting and cultural calendar, where the sea, sailing, sport the spirit of Barcelona and its citizens come together in a grand celebration. The regatta turned 10 years old this November 2017 and notching up three editions so far, it has become a cornerstone event in the worldwide transoceanic yacht racing calendar. This is a sporting challenge, a transoceanic adventure which pushes human strength and endurance to the limit. The yachts race round the world on a route some of 26,000 nautical miles (48,152 km) in length. Created and organised by the FNOB, the competition is part of the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship and is classified as an ISAF Major Event. The Barcelona World Race has also developed a highly-successful cross-sectional model; bringing sport, education, science and industry together, generating not only economic wealth, but also intellectual, scientific and environmental rewards. The first edition was held in 2007/08; the second in 2010/11 and the third in 2014/15. Until now the regatta was non-stop, making the brand-new stopover in Sydney an exciting new racing feature.

About the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB)

The Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB) is Barcelona’s own transoceanic sailing foundation, a public institution launched in 2005. It was set up to develop top-flight projects built along four key strategic strands: Sport, Education & Training, Science and Business & Industry, in collaboration with Barcelona’s universities, institutions and the business sector. The foundation, alongside Barcelona City Council, Fira Barcelona, the Port of Barcelona and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, has organised a number of transoceanic regattas, with the Barcelona World Race taking centre stage. The two-crew race, which is now into its fourth edition, was first held in 2007 and is now a pillar among the world’s great sailing competitions alongside the Vendée Globe, and part of the IMOCA OCEAN MASTERS World Championships. Through the FNOB, the Barcelona World Race collaborates with local and international scientific institutions to provide invaluable data to the scientific community, collected during the regatta using specialist instruments, especially in some of the remotest corners of the planet.