The Pontevedra estuary is once again decked out in its finest this week. The Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo is finalizing the details for the 11th King Juan Carlos I Regatta – El Corte Inglés Master, one of the most popular events on the Galician sailing calendar, which from September 18 to 20 will bring together more than 170 boats, including cruisers, one-designs, classic sailboats, and dinghies.
The cruisers will be divided into the ORC 0-4, ORC 5, and Open categories, as well as the JCH Veterans category, with the Pontevedra Provincial Council Trophy serving as an added incentive. Joining this fleet will be the J80 one-designs, the veteran Xacobeo 6-Meter class, the ABANCA Optimists, and the teams from the Talgo Adaptive Sailing Foundation and School, in a regatta that once again showcases the diversity of boats on the starting line.
The event will also serve as the culmination of the Galician High-Level Circuit, which kicked off in July in A Coruña and then continued through Ares, Portosín, and Baiona. For the ORC and J80 fleets, suspense is guaranteed: the 2026 Xunta President’s Trophy will arrive in Sanxenxo with the outcome still undecided.
The defending champions are back
Among the registered boats are two of last year’s winners: the Mirfak, skippered by Diego López (CNR Ferrol), and the Deep Blue 2.1, skippered by Vicente Cid (RCN Vigo), both of which won in 2025 in their respective categories and are determined to defend their titles. The former also arrives as the defending champion of the King Juan Carlos Regatta itself, a title that Saplicco II, skippered by Joao Serodio (YC do Porto)—last year’s winner in the ORC Open class—will also be vying for. The J80s, meanwhile, will compete with the added incentive of vying for the Iberian Championship for their class in Sanxenxo.
Quarry and the environment on land
Even before the competition begins, the youngest participants will already be taking center stage: on Wednesday the 16th, the Optimist International Clinic by 541Top kicks off, bringing together sailors from Spain, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Italy, and Morocco in Sanxenxo.
As is tradition, the day’s sailing action will continue on land. The culinary village at the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo (organized in partnership with Galicia Calidade) will once again serve as the gathering place for sailors and teams each afternoon after the races. Seafood dinners and live music will liven up Friday and Saturday nights, with the RCNS Pool Sailors Party serving as the grand finale at midnight. On Sunday, the awards ceremony will bring three days of competition in the Pontevedra estuary to a close.