From next Thursday more than 20 ships from the Basque, Asturian and Cantabra fleets participate (Photo José Capeillo)

The Cantábrica Regata begins in the Vizcaina waters of the Abra this Thursday, at one in the afternoon, with more than 20 ships that set for Gijón. Organized by the Real Club Marítimo del Abra-Real Sporting Club and the Real Club Astur de Regatas, competing ships the IRC divisions (Regata and Cruise) and Plus 50 +. After the first 125-mile tour between Getxo and Gijón, this competition will continue in asturian waters with a coastal test on Saturday and a barlovento sotavento on the final day of Sunday.

Among the registered are ships of the Club de Las Arenas such as the Thelonious of Jon Garai or the Kantarepe Iru of Javier Sanchidrián. Precisely, the Thelonious, an Archambault 35, defeated last year in the first test between the Abra and Gijón after 25 hours and 16 minutes. Other Vizcain vessels such as the Txepin, La Galea or Marmotinha, gipuzcoans such as the Andarax Bi, canals such as the Aizen, Mylla, Marieta or Go Blue and asturians such as the Airoso IV, Orbayu II, Starfighter, Kaiser, GS1, Ita Two, Marichu, Mugalari, Silfo or Nawja will also take part. Among the great favorites are two other Asturian ships. They are the Bullbox (Puerto Ria de Avilés) of Luis Noguera, patroniado by Sebastiano Napoli, recent winner of the Costa Vasca Regata - Whale of Gold Trophy in San Sebastián; and the Taxus Medio Ambiente (Club Bahia de Gijón) of Alfredo Flórez and Javier Granero, patroniado by José Rábano, second in the said Costa Vasca Regata and also in the Bizkaia de Cruises Championship.