The Galician group Xarabal, played the Anthem of Europe (Photo Pedro Seoane)

Emotional and bright the inaugural ceremony of the Laser Master European Championship, which with the organization of the Bouzas Maritime Liceo and the Vigo Maritime Club was held on the evening of Saturday in the facilities of the Port Tiglado, of the Harbour Authority of Vigo. The event was attended by Abel Caballero, mayor of Vigo, who was accompanied by the holder of the Receptación de Pontevedra Carmela Silva and a number of Proprietary and Vigo Councillors. Ignacio López Chaves also attended as a delegate of the Xunta de Galicia and other authorities and sponsors. The 2018 Abanca Week star cycle begins today at one in the afternoon.

06 / 10 / 2018: At one in the afternoon begins in the river of Vigo the European Laser Master

Very intense atmosphere in Vigo at the beginning of the European (Photo Pedro Seoane)

It begins in the waters of the river of Vigo at the edge of the one in the afternoon, the European Laser Master Championship, which organize the Bouzas Maritime Licensing and the Vigo Maritime Club, the fourth cycle of the Abanca Week that began in these same waters in the middle of the month of September and which has at stake the Grand Prix Concello de Vigo (standard class) and the Grand Prix Recession of Pontevedra (radial class). A great deal of participation, 149 ships from 20 countries of which on the afternoon of Saturday, the second day of measurements, had already been fully controlled except seven.

The Portuguese Joao Allen who is the regatta director has finally decided that the inaugural day will be held from one in the afternoon. If the wind behaves, it will be the first of two scheduled sleeves. The idea of the technicians is for each one to have a short time, and between them there will be a 30-minute rest.

Nervousness was evident in many participants who have come to our country, with the healthy intention of getting into the podiums of the different categories, which emanate from two basic classes: the radial laser that is ollipic for girls and the standard that is for men. The difference between the two is the vile surface of the boys, which is significantly higher.

In the Regatas Committee as an official is the Andalusian Luky Serrano, which is kneeled by Catalan Pep Subirats, Galician Manuel Rodríguez Moreno, Luis de Mira, Emilio Méndez and Alberto Bolíbar. Your work will bring success to your plot, essential in the sports organization chart.

On the part of Galicia, José Ramón Pardo of the Real Club Náutico de La Coruña, as well as the Vigueses Iago Carballo, Alfredo Vázquez (who was Olympic in soling) and his brother Antonio Vázquez, and the pontevedreses Carlos and Javier Echevarri, appear as the highest options.

Another important fleet is that of Catalonia, with more than 30 units and no less than an Olympic gold medal at the head of the male selected, and a female world champion: Miguel Noguer and Monica Azón. Other heavy weights of the Catalans Jordi Capella, Andres Grao or the female Silvia Rabellat.

In front of us, a wide participation of countries like France, Alermania, England, Holland, Belgium and Italy, which together with the Nordic countries are the great favorites... without forgetting countries like the United States that with eight lasers are in the elite of this sport internationally.

The first step in the celebration of this historic European Laser Master, took place at the last hour of yesterday chaired by the Vigo Rider Abel Caballero. The place chosen the Tinglado of the Port of the Harbour Authority of Vigo... the most emotional moment when the Galician group Xarabal made sound its gaitas to interpret the Anthem of Europe.

05 / 10 / 2017: With the opening ceremony begins in Vigo the European Laser Master

At seven and a half of the afternoon of today Saturday will take place in the hall of the excellent installation of the Tinglado del Puerto de la Autoridad Portuaria de Vigo, the opening ceremony of the fourth cycle of the Abanca Week: the European Laser Master Championship that organize the Bouzas Maritime Liceo and the Maritimo de Vigo Club, with the sponsorship and support of the Concello de Vigo, the Deptation of Pontevedra and the Consortium of the Free Zone, among other institutions and companies.

This first day of measurement has been very long in the public facilities of the Port of Vigo, annexed to those of the Nautico de Vigo. The almost 150 lasers have patiently waited for their turn to suffer the measurements and checks of the technicians, with the French Jean Luc Michon at the front, who is also the president of the Eurilca.

The Galo has had some real luxury helpers at the Olympic Lusian Pedro Pires of Lima who is a well-known industry of the world of candles, the Catalan Pep Subirats who was director of the Catalan Federation of Sailing and today is responsible for the Spain Young Americas Cup and the Nautico de Cambrils, the Galician Miguel Cons. In addition, the Marítimo de Canido Club has managed the presence of a dozen young regatists who have been volunteers of this fect, among other Vigo athletes.

For the Saturday day will continue with the foot measurements of the Avenida in the tents that Abanca has installed, and at three in the afternoon will be the so-called Training Regatta, in which he will already be as the main regatta officer, the Andalusian Luky Serrano, who arrived at noon on Friday to Vigo. He who is the technical director of the Royal Spanish Vela Federation, I accept the request of the Maritimo de Vigo, despite the numerous invitations he has at the international level for similar positions, was not in vain the one chosen for London and Rio, in this position.

And at the end of the afternoon, the opening ceremony presided over by Abel Caballero, in which the notes will sound at the end of the Xarabal gaits of the anthem of Europe... following the protocol new interpretation of the prestigious Viguese group on this occasion of the March of the Old Kingdom of Galicia, and to finish a tasting of ham, patés and empanadas Gallegos by Coren and Tuypan. We are at the door of a historic competition for the Galician candle.

04 / 10 / 2018: With the measurements starts in Vigo the European Laser Master with 149 ships

Monica Azón already knows what it's like to be a champion of Europe (Photo Thom Town)

The European Championship in Vigo, which is organized by the Bouzas Maritime Liceo and the Vigo Maritime Club with the sponsorship of the Vigo Concello, Pontedra Receptitation, Vigo Harbour Authority and the Consortium of the Free Zone, and which is immersed in the Abanca Week; in the face of the imminent beginning of the continental Laser Master meeting, in which the measurements that will be extended until the afternoon of Saturday, and in which the Inaugural Ceremony of the 7 and a half of the afternoon, presided by the Mayor of Vigo, the Caballero, are scheduled. The area of the Avenida Viguesa has had an unusual movement on Thursday, with dozens of ships coming from many points on the planet, as it has been "open" category, has allowed Vigo, units from the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina and Brazil to move.

In the end, the Eurilca, a European institution that rules the laser competitions within the World Sailing... has given the approval to 149 ships from 20 countries, divided into the radial and standard categories, almost half in each. The most numerous expeditions are in Spain, in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain. They also have many ships the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark... with fewer units Australia, Canada, Portugal, Poland, Belgium and Finland, among others.

It's not gonna be easy for our lasers in Vigo (Photo Thom Town)

With regard to the International Jury, it is made up of Peter Johnson of England, the Croatian Zlatko Jakelic, the French Jean-Luc Michon that at the end of the Eurolca, the Belgian Joep Strus who was the first to arrive, and the Spanish José Angel Rodríguez Santos and Miguel Cons. As for the main regatta officer, he will be Rafael Serrano Bohorquez "Luky," considered the number one world, not in vain he held the same position in the London and Brazil Olympics, and is currently the technical director of the Royal Spanish Vela Federation.

In the water it will be very difficult for the Spaniards. The "Catalan army" with more than 30 lasers, some of them from a lot of posts such as Monica Azón, who is the champion of Europe or the Olympic gold medal Miguel Noguer... another one that sounds among the favorites is Carlos Echávarri, the Catalan Jordi Capella or the Galician Iago Carballo. But we're not going to have it easy to podium, much less.

The numerous presence of Catalans in the different committees is striking. The relationship of the Catalan candle with the Abanca Week, since its time of the Caixanova Week, is deep and fruit of this is the massive displacement of Mediterranean regatists. Ten years ago, a twinning was organized between the Galician and Catalan candles, and a race was organized in the river of Vigo with the participation of 100 optimist who carried the flags of Catalonia and Galicia in their amures. From tomorrow several of those will be in the direction of the European, such as the case of Pep Subirats director of the Nüutic Cambrils, the most powerful club in southern Catalonia, or the four beacons that will have a very complex task within the European, that on Sunday will begin the competition itself.