Barcelona bolsters its international leadership in sailing sport The 6th Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta is presented in 's Town Hall

● From 10th to 13th July, historic vessels from all around the world will sail to Barcelona in order to take part in the 6th Edition of Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta ● The city Mayor, Xavier Trías, highlights the importance of the event as an invaluable support towards the internationalization of Barcelona. ● About 40 “sailing legends” of the last two centuries have already confirmed their attendance; some of them are Manitou, Mariette, Mariquita, Avel, Creole or both Moonbeam III and IV.

Barcelona, 26th July 2013. The 6th Edition of Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona Regatta has been presented this morning in the city Town Hall with the presence of Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trías; the Deputy Mayor in Life Quality, Equality and Sports Areas, Maite Fandos; the President of Royal Yacht Club of Barcelona (RCNB), Enrique Corominas; and the President of Puig, Marc Puig. With a huge international projection and after five successful editions, the Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta has consolidated itself as an important event in the calendar of Mediterranean races. In fact, it is expected that more than 700 people – including racers and companions – will take part in the event.

From left to right, Xavier Trías, Barcelona's Mayor; Marc Puig, President of Puig; and Enrique Corominas, president of RCNB

Enrique Corominas, President of RCNB, started the presentation pointing that “in few occasions art and sport are combined in such an explicit way like in this regatta, given the cultural and historic importance of the participant vessels”.

So, from 10th to 13th July and, for six years in a row, Barcelona is getting ready to hold one of the most expected and famous events of the season, in which some of the best classical and vintage boats of the whole world will be seen.

Puig, with its long tradition in the sports sponsoring, together with RCNB and the collaboration of Barcelona's Town Hall, will transform the city's waters into a floating museum that will become one of the main attractives of the city. “Tradition, beauty and competitiveness are some of the values associated with the classic sailing, assumed by Puig in our business development and by Barcelona as a capital of Mediterranean sailing”, said Marc Puig, president of the company.

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A unique show for a great capital During the four forthcoming days in July, all the people staying in the cosmopolitan city will be lucky to enjoy and see the luxurious vessels considered naval architecture masterpieces. Marc Puig has also given importance to the recognition of the regatta for the city's development: “The perfect integration between the race and Barcelona through the ways of art, sailing and trade, explain the commitment of Puig with our city and the company's trajectory with the capital”. There exists no other capital in the world that harbors a regatta of classical boats such as Barcelona. Amongst the wonderful destinations where classic boats' events are held such as Cannes, Antibes, Antigua, Newport or Wight Island, Barcelona is without a doubt the most important and international one. Also, one of the main features that make this show unique is that it happens in the heart of the Catalan capital, just a few minutes away from Sagrada Familia, the Gothic neighborhood, the Paseo de Gracia and other exclusive spaces of the city. Status of Barcelona in the international calendar of sailing races The growing interest of the participants and the place where it is held have been key facts to transform the event into a prestigious happening that can't be skipped for the lovers of sailing and the Mediterranean. Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trías, has highlighted the importance of the Puig Vela Clàssica race: “Quality events like this regatta are an invaluable help that contribute in the internationalization of Barcelona, a city with sea that cares about sports and the healthy life of its citizens. That's how we want to show ourselves to the rest of the world and thanks to this competition we provide a unique show and we can boast of having international audience”. The Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta is not only thought for the owners, captains and crew, but also for the delight of both Barcelona citizens and tourists. People will be able to see the race from emblematic places such as Port Vell or Sant Miquel and Barceloneta beaches. On the other hand, those who own a boat or decide to rent one, will also be able to enjoy the naval jewels from a very short distance.

From left to right, Santiago Siquier, Territorial Delegate of Sports of the Generalitat; Maite Fandos, the Deputy Mayor in Life Quality, Equality and Sports; Damián Ribas, Commodore of RCNB; Marc Puig, President of Puig; Xavier Trías, Barcelona's Mayor;

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Enrique Corominas, President of RCNB; Jordi Puig, Vice‐president of RCNB; and Gerard Esteva, President of the Catalan Sailing Federation

The reference boats in naval history will show up in Barcelona

There are almost 40 classic and vintage boats enrolled in the 6th Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta, coming from and other countries around the world such as England, , Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, etc. These vessels will sail along Barcelona shore with the purpose of offering a solemn staging of pure naval tradition, that is rarely seen in big capitals. Aside from the beauty and the historic value of the boats, a group of them also hides important anecdotes that make them completely different. Some of them have participated in wars, some of them have been owned by famous and aristocratic people and some of them had even remained sunk in rivers until a naval lover found and restored them. Amongst these marvellous boats, some of them are Creole, considered one of the most beautiful vessels in the world with its 65 meters length; Moonbeam IV, in which Rainier III Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly spent their honeymoon; Malabar X, one of the most important boats in recreational design history; or Manitoy, which was owned by John F. Kennedy.

Other boats such as Moonbeam III, Islander, Avel, Flika, Mariquita, Albra or Mariette will be also participating in this year's edition, competing for a renown trophy in European sailing. In the 6th Edition of Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta, there are going to be three different categories depending on design, antiquity and size:

Vintage Boats: vessels made of wood or metal launched before 31st December 1949. Classic Boats: made of wood or metal according to the original plans and launched between 1st January 1950 and 31st December 1975. Big Boat Vessels: both Vintage and Classic boats larger that 25 meters length.

www.puigvelaclassicabarcelona.com

About Puig Puig is a familiar fashion and fragrance company established in Barcelona. Throughout its history, the business has effectively developed the ability to transfer the image of leading fashion brands to the perfume industry by storytelling and the excellence of its products.

Some successful brands by Puig are Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Valentino, Comme des Garçons, Mango and Adolfo Dominguez; also, celebrity perfumes such as Antonio Banderas or . Puig's products are sold in more than 130 countries. www.puig.com

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Press Contact: Puig Communication: PR and Communication Consultant: Montse Ribas y Rodrigo Leo Carlos del Hoyo, Alba Castillo +34 93 400 70 03 +34 91 577 45 54 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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