The Christmas Race has kicked off the countdown to its 50th anniversary, with this edition serving as a turning point leading up to the milestone year in 2026.
Once again, the sailing community responded enthusiastically, bringing together competitive fleets in all classes, featuring significant international and Spanish participation. Notably, the 29er made a return to Palamós for this event, initiating the European Continental EuroCup 2024.
This edition of the Christmas Race saw the participation of two reigning world champions: Henric Wigforss from Sweden, the Optimist world champion transitioning to the 29er class, and the 420 class champions, Pol Mateu and Alejandro de Maqua, who sailed in Palamós before heading to Brazil to defend their title won in 2023 in Alicante
Oskar Madonich from Ukraine and Gilda Dondona from France, the first and second in the ILCA 6 class, emerged as the overall champions of the Christmas Race. They claimed the prestigious Diputació de Girona awards for the best youth sailors and the Manuel Albalat awards for the best in Olympic classes, respectively. In the ILCA 4 class, victory went to the British sailor Ben Anderson. In the double-handed classes, the British duo Neil Barsden/David Bromilow secured victory in the 420, while the Dutch sailors Tjed Wildeboer and Lars Van den Berg triumphed in the 29er.
