OVER 350 PATÍ CATALÀ RACE IN BARCELONA ON FINAL DAY OF THE LOUIS VUITTON 37TH AMERICA'S CUP
A record fleet of 350 boats took to the water in Barcelona on the first day of the Patí de Vela Regatta creating a truly unique visual spectacle along the city’s shorefront as a part of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup and the IV Setmana Catalana de l'Esport (IV Catalan Sports Week).
The day began at 11:00 and featured over 350 patins de vela, a record setting number never been achieved before in a competition. The race winner was Oriol Castellà from Club Nàutic Sitges, but the overall winner will be decided during Sunday's racing.
Committed to the environment
This is an event that goes further than sports. It's a call to the importance of the fight against climate change and plastic pollution in the ocean – hence its slogan is "Free Plastics Sea", aiming to raise awareness of the issue of microplastics in the sea.
The Patí de Vela – an original boat from Barcelona
The Patí de Vela or Patí Català is a single sailor catamaran that is controlled by the skipper's body weight and the mainsheet. It features no rudder, boom or battens, and it originated on the beachfronts of Barceloneta and Badalona in the 1920s.