As 'Ophiusa' turns 15 this Easter, regatta still holding down Sitges-Formentera passage

Ophiusa-2017The Formentera Council's Office of Tourism reports that this morning the administration's head offices were the site of a presentation on the upcoming fifteenth edition of Regata Ophiusa, a regatta where participants sail from Sitges to Formentera. Local tourism director Carlos Bernús and event organiser Josep Maria Ferrer were on hand to give details about the event, which runs March 29-31.

In terms of turn out, organisers say they are expecting some 45 boats and 250 navigators. Every year, participants agree to support the Save Posidonia Project by adopting a swath of posidonia meadow using a QR code. Sailors in the regatta will be shown a presentation aimed to build awareness about the need to protect posidonia seagrass. Maria Ferrer pointed out that “seafarers enjoy the sea year round, but they also have a part to play in conservation efforts”.

Fifteen years on, and thanks to the parallel support of Balearic agency for tourism (ATB) and Formentera's Office of Tourism, the Regata Ophiusa has always imbued the same philosophy of balancing competitive yachts with family sailboats whose navigators are keen to enjoy Formentera on Easter holiday, when, free of summer crowds, a more authentic vibe prevails. Maria Ferrer insisted there would be “plenty of room for everybody among the various groups and classifications covered by the regatta”.

Visitors in the low-season
Carlos Bernús described “l'Ophiusa”as one of the big guns in the effort to promote off-season tourism on the island, assuring that “people visiting Formentera for the first time will leave with fabulous memories they'll no doubt share with their friends and families back home”.

The regatta is 100% Made in Formentera, from its name (“Ophiusa” was a Greek word for the island) to the categories it enfolds. Savina d'Espalmador, Savina d'es Cap, Savina la Mola and la Mola are some of those classifications, and fittingly, each includes a trophy crafted in the image of the Savina juniper. The first-place winner walks away with the Ophiusa's “Silver Savina”.

Organisers highlighted the support of ATB and the Formentera Council, as well as numerous other companies that have provided material or other assistance.