A sailing regatta is a speed sports competition between several boats. Each sailboat is formed by a team of sailors who must pass different tests along a previously established route. The duration of a sailing regatta varies depending on the competition, in some cases they end in one hour and, in others, it can last several days. Do you dare to participate as a crew member in sailing regattas? Next, we tell you everything you need to know before living this adventure.

One of the most repeated issues when deciding to embark on a sailing regatta is experience. In this case it is not necessary to have experience or basic knowledge of sailing, it only requires a desire to have fun, enjoy the sea, navigation and meet new people. Once embarked, you will live an incredible experience, where you will learn navigation skills and work in teams, among many other things.

The days before the adventure, you are sure to ask yourself about the type of clothes you should wear for a sailing regatta . First of all, you should keep in mind that the clothes are light, since otherwise you could increase the weight of the boat. In addition, clothing should be comfortable and waterproof so as not to get wet. Finally, the shoes should be of the non-slip white sole, as this could prevent falls in the area of the deck.

Among the most important sailing regattas in Spain, we find two that stand out for the influx of participants and their media popularity.

▷ Salt Route.
Officially called Ruta de la Sal - Pepe Ferrés Trophy. It is usually celebrated during the Easter holidays. This tall regatta consists of different routes that start from different places, Barcelona, Denia and Mallorca, and its destination is the port of Ibiza. In Sailwiz's blog you will find all the information about the route of the Salt Route .

▷ Ophiusa Regatta.
This is one of the most important high-altitude races that take place in the Mediterranean Sea. Characterized by its high competitive level, the Ophiusa regatta is held during the month of April on the island of Formentera, leaving from the Port of Sitges and ending at the port of La Savina.

At an international level, we can find regattas such as the Volvo Ocean Race , the most important transoceanic regatta in the world in terms of team competition and which has a duration of nine months, or the Barcelona World, a regatta held around the world, nonstop and that starts and ends in Barcelona.

Sailing regattas can be of two types:

▷ Regatta sailing.
They are small-sized vessels, which lack motor propulsion and haggle near the coast. The route of this type of sailing regatta is usually marked with buoys or triangle-shaped beacons.

▷ Cruising sailing regatta.
Sailboats of larger size are used for this competition, which normally have a motor propulsion. In cruising sailing regattas, the routes are structured from port to port and the distance varies depending on the class, the number of participating boats and the weather conditions.

Regarding the regulations governing a regatta, the points system is usually used to establish who manages to position itself as the winning team of a sailing regatta. The boat that wins is the one that accumulates less points in the sleeves, that is, in the tests held previously.

▷ Score for points: It is assigned according to the order of arrival. The boat that arrives in first position will get one point, the second two points, and so on.

▷ Discard: Once all the tests are finished, each boat can eliminate its worst result in the competition.

Normally, the number of sleeves in a race is nine, although some may have less or reach 15.

The essence of navigation is based on knowing how to govern the boat where it is desired by making a good combination of wind, sails and rudder. Racing sailboats are prepared to maintain maximum navagation efficiency in all directions. Below, you can learn about some of the navigation maneuvers used in a sailing regatta.

▷ Turned forward : It consists of turning against the wind, putting the cane to leeward and changing the directional sails. In turn, the crew of the boat also change position.

▷ Turned in round: It resides in putting the cane to windward to change the band candles. As with the previous maneuver, the crew also change positions.

Now that you know the necessary information about sailing regattas, do you dare to join to live the experience? In Sailwiz you can find sailing regattas throughout the year, as we update daily the activities offered to accommodate all the sports competitions scheduled by the different yacht clubs.