The biggest sailing event in Northern Portugal
One of the main sailing events in the north of Portugal took place this past weekend: the Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing. The event, organized by Lusíadas Saúde in partnership with BBDouro, featured two important sailing regattas – the Women on Water Portugal and the 13th edition of the Regata do Infante – and several sailing trips from Lusíadas Saúde’s “Todos a Bordo” program and the “Lusíadas Comunidade” project. Promoting inclusion, diversity and healthy lifestyle practices through sailing were the pillars that guided the two days of activities on the Douro River.
For the fourth year running, Douro Marina wore the Lusíadas Saúde blue and welcomed more than 400 people – including sailors, collaborators, and associations – to the various activities of the event, which included the official medical service of Lusíadas Saúde.
For Joana Menezes, CEO of Hospital Lusíadas Porto, “the promotion of inclusion and diversity is one of the fundamental principles defended by Lusíadas Saúde, in which we have been working and investing, with the aim of ensuring that all have the same opportunities. So, we couldn’t help but be part of this event again, where we have the opportunity to support sport and also make it accessible to the whole population, through the Lusíadas For All Boat, which illustrates our commitment to society and creating equality in it.”
THE TEAM OF OLYMPIAN MARIANA LOBATO WINS THE BIGGEST WOMEN’S SAILING COMPETITION IN PORTUGAL
Women on Water Portugal, sponsored by Natixis in Portugal, is the only regatta with exclusively female crews in Portugal. The championship was held on the Douro River, along the banks of Gaia and Porto, in J70 class boats. There were seven crews on the water, a total of 35 sailors, who sailed 23 races over two days. The four best-placed teams competed in the final on Sunday afternoon, with the winner to be found at the end of the third race.
It was an intense two days of racing, with a lot of competitiveness and the fleet demonstrating its high level, with some of the country’s top sailors in attendance, including Olympians Sara Carmo (at the London and Rio de Janeiro Games) and Mariana Lobato (London Games).
The victory went to the “Team Cocomelon” crew, with Olympic sailor Marina Lobato at the helm and Francisca Barros, Joana Azevedo, Carlota Gala and Maria Sánchez in the crew. In second place was the “Girls on Fire!” team, led by Margarida Aguiar, who won last year, while fellow Olympian Sara Carmo’s team, the “SaltyBow”, rounded off the podium.
“We are delighted to be associated for the first time with this emblematic event, which takes place in the magnificent landscape of the Douro River. Sport is one of our key pillars in supporting the community. And at a time when so much is being said about gender equality in sport, it is a source of pride for Natixis in Portugal to support this regatta incorporated entirely by women,” comments Etienne Huret, CEO of Natixis in Portugal. “We believe that diversity and inclusion are key to achieving an equal society and, in this sense, we will continue to invest in engaging with the community in which we operate, being drivers of change and creating a positive impact.”
REGATA DO ΙNFANTE BRΙNGS TOGETHER 45 BOATS ON THE BANKS OF THE DOURO
Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing 2023 also included in its program the traditional Regata do Infante, which is the largest regatta for cruising boats in the north of Portugal. The regatta toured the waters of Porto and Matosinhos, arriving on the Douro River near the historic Ribeira area on the first leg, returning to Leixões Harbour on a second leg that departed from Foz do Douro, after a break for lunch and socializing at the Douro Marina.
Among the 45 boats and around 300 sailors, victory in the ANR1 class went to Pedro Fernandes’ “Le Petit Prince”, in ANR2 Manuel Lopes’ “Ojo Piojo” led the way, while Rui Ramada Barros aboard “Yess” won ANR3. Among the Platu boats, Filipe Pedrosa’s “Cheers” came in first and, in the SBoat boats, Bruno Albuquerque’s “Jazz” finished in front.
In what is also the only regatta of its kind that is inclusive and accessible to all, the Lusíadas For All Boat, the first catamaran in the world developed in Portugal that allows sailing to be extended to everyone, was once again present at the Regata do Infante. The boat itself can accommodate up to four conventional wheelchairs and allows sailing to be extended to the entire population. On board were several sailors from the SIM, Somos Capazes association, who not only took first place in the return leg to Leixões, but also treated all the participants to a concert after the prize-giving.
A SUSTAINABLE EVENT
For the second year running, Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing had the support of the worldwide association Sailors For the Sea, which honours the organization of events based on sustainable materials in all their dimensions.
Among the various initiatives carried out over the two days, Sunday’s beach clean-up, with the collaboration of volunteers, in the area adjacent to the Douro Marina, in Vila Nova de Gaia, stands out.
At the end of the championship, Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing was certified by the Clean Regattas program with a “Gold” rating, having met 17 of the 20 evaluation indices.
Text Credits: BBDOURO
Photos & Video Credits: BBDOURO
