Spain starts the Platu25 global championship as favourite as Mexillón de Galicia-Movistar owned by Paz brothers from Galicia is ready to defend its title against nearly eighty competitors.

Carla Anselmi reports:
 
Alicante July,19th 2010 - Final preparations are underway in Alicante for the 2010 Platu25 World Championship at the local Real Club de Regatas, time is ticking away as today action will start with the official practice race, scheduled for the early afternoon, while the battle for the title will see the nearly eighty crews competing for the first races Tuesday at 12.30 and the fight will last until next Saturday in the waters just outside the Alicante harbour. 

"Who's the favourite?" people ask. Answering is harder than ever because the entries' technical level in Alicante is unquestionably high. The Spanish fleet is very strong but it would be a mistake not to see the international competition as a real menace. Defending champions are  Mexillón de Galicia-Movistar owned by Carlos and Anton Paz del Vilagarcia, the latter a Volvo Ocean Race experienced sailor and Olympic medallist in Bejing, who are ready to play every possible card to be on the podium this year too after winning in Punta Ala in 2009 and are considered the real enemy to beat.

But the rest of the Iberian crews will not give any chance to their fellow countrymen as Bribón-Movistar owned by Josep Cusí and skippered nu Marc de Antonio freshly crowned as Spanish Campion in Barcelona last June and able to get on the second step of the podium both in Greece in 2008 and in Italy in 2009. Same target  for Iberdrola helmed by Manu Weiller, who was the first World champion in Vigo in 2006 and who would certainly be happy to go back to those days' success. 

Yet, the "Armada Espanola" will nonetheless have to be very wary of the rest of the international fleet who's in Alicante ready to  fight and steal the title. First among the most fierce adversaries is the Greek team on  Modus Vivend-3 Alfa owned by  Kostas Karageorgiou, gold in 2008 and silver in 2009 and who's in the Costa Blanca capital to take his revenge as are the strong German crews on Niklas Ganssauge's Flexi or on Farr Bar and Five For The Eight. The best sailors from the Italian Platu25 class will also be present in Alicante among which Koopa Troopa owned and skippered by Alberto Barbarisi; Maurizio Galanti's Just a Coyote and Matteo Ridi's Hurrà. Austria is ready to race with Traunsee-Austria; from far away Argentinian waters comes Burbujón while French specialists will sail onboard  Black Flag an Goofy. 
In the coming days competition will thrive also from the boats form Finland Lutfisk and Kuperkeikka; Russia represented by Nauticasib and Navis Vela skippered respectively by Igor Bezmenov and female helm Marina Kasatova;  Portugal with Paquito; a couple of Swiss teams Superbüsi and  Aramis as well as a UK team Farr Out helmed by Will Brooks.

Today as the final entry documentation and measurements will be concluded, the actual number of participants will be available and the decision to whether to race in one or more fleets will be taken by the Organizers, as it happened last year in Punta Ala. According to the event technical director, Ignacio Campos, every effort will be made to have racing course as close to the coast as possible and a single competitors fleet as to keep the show for spectators and the racing level high.

At 19.00 the Real Club the Regatas will host the official Opening Ceremony at the presence of the local authorities, the Comunitat and the Municipality of Alicante and tomorrow the first warning signal will, wind permitting, be given at 12.30.