Malta is the latest tourism destination to put their brand on a boat. The trend for countries and cities to sponsor sailing to promote tourism seems to be growing, with marine tourists a sought after audience.
Spanish boat owner Jesús Turro’s new Soto 40 team, will campaign the Argentinian boat Patagonia as www.visitmalta.com, at the finale of the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit, the Conde de Godo Barcelona Trophy Regatta in Barcelona with a top Spanish crew including double Olympian Luís Martínez Doreste, top Snipe sailor Alfredo González and top J80 sailor Javier Padrón.
The new team will race in Barcelona on board Patagonia, the boat which has been loaned to aspiring crews by the class president Norberto Alvarez Vitale. The Spanish owner is well known as the owner-skipper behind the Solete and Gramona programmes, he is also a regular participant at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre regatta each year, and a committed competitor on the Spanish cruiser-racer circuit. Their Soto 40 project will be named www.visitmalta.com and features some of Spain’s top sailing talent from Catalonia, the Canary Islands, Galicia and Andalucía.
www.visitmalta.com will form part of the fleet of six which will comprise the 40 Series fleet racing on the famous Olympic waters off the Catalonian capital city. The new boat of Toni Guiu and Àlex Laplaza’s, www.cruiser-racer.com, is expected to arrive imminently to be raced on the duo’s native waters. .
Alfredo Mella, one of the grounders of the new www.visitmalta.com team, explains:
“The idea started about a a year ago, when we introduced the project to www.visitmalta.com. They liked the idea from the beginning. Malta has the potential and wants to become a sailing destination, and this project perfectly suits that goal”.
The Conde de Godó Barcelona Trophy, the fifth event of the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit takes place from the 12th – 17th of September in Barcelona.
