The Spanish team has led the race during 90% of the tour

The Basque-Catalan tandem formed by Olympic medalists Iker Martínez and Natalia Vía-Dufresne has finished the European Offshore Joint Championship, which will be Olympic in Paris 2024, in third position after having led more than 90% of the 330-mile tour. Despite this leadership from the same line of departure, the Spaniards have suffered a hard struggle in the last miles by the French and Belgian team.

The crew of Iker Martínez and Natalia Vía-Dufresne (Movistar-Geseme, in a project involved by the RFEV and the FNOB) has completed the Joint Offshore European Championship in an excellent third position, in its first contact with both this type of boat and the race format that combines aspects of ocean navigation with those of the standard Olympic classes.

Although the Olympic medalists have led the 330-mile test by Italian waters - a route that has led them to points such as Giraglia, Elba Island, near Portofino and Genova - the point of departure and arrival - the last miles have played a bad way for the Spaniards.

The final victory has been for the French team of Benajmín Schwartz and Marie Riou, followed by the Belgian team of Jonas Gerckens and Sophie Faguet, with which the Spanish tandem - at the end of the day - has performed a real Match- Race in the early morning.

2020 / 08 / 30: Joint Offshore: Spain has a meeting with the future in Genoa by Iker and Natalia

Nine teams have shown interest in the continental meeting representing Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands and Spain

The Spanish tandem formed by the Basque Iker Martínez and the Catalan Natalia Via Dufresne... those with two Olympic medals in their existence and with the support of the Royal Spanish Federation of Vela, will be the Spanish representatives on the first official meeting of which, in Paris 2024, will be a new Olympic discipline. Both regatists have been before the period of health confinement training this modality in Balearic waters and this will be the first time they compete together.

The mixed Offshore is a new discipline that combines coastal navigation on small-length cruise ships with other navigation skills. Some of its features are the model of the boat - not yet officially defined and that in this European championship will be a L30 One Design- the duration of the races - between 8 and 10 hours or 48 hours of uninterrupted duration - the mixed aspect of the equipment and the knowledge in ocean and coastal navigation that it requires.

For this Offshore mixed European Championship the Spanish team Martinez- Via Dufresne will have to move to Genoa, where tomorrow and the past will fight coastal races, if depending on the number of participants are held days of qualification, while day 2 will be a day of reserve and the 3 will start the long distance race that will have a minimum duration of 48 hours or two nights in a row at sea.

Among the athletes who accept the challenge of this new discipline in the face of Paris 2024 are great names of the ocean candle such as the British flying Dee Caffari or the pursuit of ocean records Benjamin Schwartz. Other profiles that draw attention are that of the Italian J70 European champion Claudia Rossi or Olympic on several occasions such as the Marie Riou Gala - the world champion of Nacra17 in four occasions - or the Spanish representatives Iker Martinez - the double Olympic medal and ocean regatist - and Natalia Via Dufresne who treasure two Olympic medals and will sail under the name "Movistar-Geseme."