Official presentation of the TP 52 World Championship Islas Canarias Puerto Calero

The presentation of the TP 52 World Championship Islas Canarias Puerto Calero took place on Wednesday in Puerto Calero, the marina located in the island of Lanzarote, part of the Spanish Canary Islands. The spectacular TP52 fleet will compete from the 20th to the 25th of October on the challenging Atlantic waters off Puerto Calero’s marina. This will be the first time ever the TP52 world championship is held in Spain; last year’s edition was held in Porto Cervo (Italy) and the inaugural one in Miami.

The fleet that will take part in the TP 52 World Championship Islas Canarias Puerto Calero is expected to be 20-strong, with 18 boats having already confirmed their participation. This will be a record and will make the event the most populous ever in the history of the TP52 world championships. A dozen countries will be represented, including Spain, USA, Italy, Portugal, Monaco, Great Britain, Russia, Argentina, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Considering the fact that the TP52 class consists of 22 members, next October’s regatta will surely deserve to be called a world championship.

Nevertheless, the TP 52 World Championship Islas Canarias Puerto Calero will not merely provide quantity but also world-class quality. Most of the world’s leading sailors will be onboard the demanding TP52 yachts. This year will also see the first participation of America’s Cup teams racing their own yacht.

Rob Weiland, manager of the TP52 class, opened the presentation by explaining the reasons behind the decision to hold this year’s Global Championship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. “Right after the end of last year’s Global Championship we started looking for the following year’s venue. I had received lots of petitions from the various Spanish TP52 owners to come and visit Puerto Calero in order to consider it as a possible venue for the 2008 World Championship”, stated Weiland.

According to Weiland, he went to Lanzarote with a “blank sheet” in order to assess Puerto Calero’s adequacy in holding such a prestigious and demanding international event. The manager of the TP52 class appreciated the fact the entire complex was ran by a family. He saw in that a great advantage; communication between the teams and the class on one side and the organization on the other is direct and immediate.

Still, Weiland considered that a venue needs more in order to reach the standards required for the world championship. This is exactly what Puerto Calero provides. According to him, wind conditions in Lanzarote are very good at the end of fall and despite weather’s capricious unpredictability, we should be offered an exciting series of TP52 races. In addition, the facilities provided by the Puerto Calero Marina are perfectly functional, second to none. It is obviously no coincidence Ericsson Racing Team chose Puerto Calero as its winter training base.

Closing the act, José Calero, CEO of Puerto Calero, stated that they “have been promoting the Canary islands for many years through sports events, particularly in sailing”. According to Calero, there will be no limit in their efforts and they will keep supporting the sport of sailing in the future, especially given the fact the island has the natural gift of strong constant breezes. He went on pointing out that his organization will spare no efforts in making the event a success, guaranteeing that all teams and owners are completely satisfied. He finished by saying that he would like to see everybody return to Lanzarote once the regatta is over.

The racing schedule of the TP52 World Championship ISLAS CANARIAS Puerto Calero will be as follows:

Sunday, 19th October – Practice Race(s)
Monday, 20th October – Windward/Leeward Race(s)
Tuesday, 21st October – Windward/Leeward Race(s)
Wednesday, 22nd October – Short Coastal Race (35-40 miles approximately)
Thursday, 23rd October – Long Coastal Race (60 miles approximately)
Friday, 24th October – Windward/Leeward Race(s)
Saturday, 25th October – Windward/Leeward Race(s)