Regatta 4: GC32 Mar Menor Cup
GC32 Mar Menor Cup, Spain
With big steps the end of the GC32 year 2021 is approaching and with it the season finale in Mar Menor in the southeast of Spain.
For its last event at the beginning of November, the GC32 racing circus chose Mar Menor, a location that offers exceptionally mild temperatures, not only due to its southern location. The lagoon, which belongs to the region of Murcia, is shielded from the open sea by a more than 20-kilometer-long sandbank, which ensures extremely shallow water, an increased salt content and thus almost perfect conditions for foiling.
Mar Menor has therefore established itself many years ago as a European Mecca among high-speed sailing classes – whether for regattas or merely for training. Also the GC32 Racing Tour does not guest there for the first time.
So we are looking forward to the last event of this season and to the optimal conditions with at least 15 degrees warm water and constant 8+ knots of wind.
We will give our best and try to defend our place on the podium in the overall ranking. And once again look forward to your interest and support.
Mar Menor is almost closed off from the Mediterranean Sea by a wide, partly populated sandbank. Therefore, this lagoon is often referred to as the largest inland sea in Europe. A shallow water depth and a low exchange with the open sea not only provides special nautical conditions, but also an enormous strain on the marine fauna and flora in the “Little Sea”. Murcia, which forms the northern coast of Mar Menor, is an extremely productive agricultural region. The wastewater from the countless plantations, which has remained untreated for decades, has caused the nitrate content of the inland sea to rise steadily. Summer temperatures of over 40 degrees also contribute to the fact that Spain’s tourist paradise, known as the “jewel of nature,” has become a problem child. For years, local and national authorities in Spain have been struggling to improve the situation.
As a participant of a regatta in Mar Menor, Black Star Sailing is aware of its role. As always, we treat the sea and nature with the utmost respect, avoiding (and collecting) waste and obtaining our own drinking water through filtration. And of course we are looking forward to the upcoming races and countless duels, which we hope to win as often as possible.
Those who wish can follow the regatta live. And the results are continuously available on the GC32 RT website.