The regatta was organised by the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation and the Veles per l’Alzheimer Association. It brought together 200 participants and it is the only sailing event in which the crew is made up of people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia
Over 200 people suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia took part in the second edition of the Regatta for Alzheimer's, a sailing race organised by the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation and the Veles per l’Alzheimer Association. The event, which was held today in Port Olímpic, is the only sailing race in the world where the crew is made up of people suffering from this illness.
The event's first meeting in Port Olímpic doubled its level of participation, thanks to the presence of crews and families from all over Catalonia, who are taking part in the Catalunya La Pedrera Association's memory-reinforcement programme. A total of 31 sailing boats set out from Port Olímpic, accompanied by catamarans, where a further 110 people with reduced mobility were able to follow the regatta.
The regatta's second edition included the presence of organisations involved in defending the rights of people suffering from Alzheimer's, from both Spain and countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil, underling the aim of reproducing the event in other parts of the world.
At the end of the event, Olga Cerezo, the director of Port Olímpic, underlined the Port's intention of becoming “a venue for the teaching and practice of sailing for everyone. Events such as the Regatta for Alzheimer's are in line with this ambition, making it possible for us to progress towards accessible, inclusive and socially-aware sailing for all groups of people”.
Fostering sailing is one of Port Olímpic's main strategic activities, with an extensive calendar of both recreational and competitive regattas, thereby helping to promote the practice of sailing. In this regard, the modernisation and improvement of the Municipal Sailing Centre (CMV) will make it possible to expand its services, turning it into a leading sailing centre that can teach and provide access to sailing for the general public, especially young people.
