The Ayuntamiento de Cádiz has hosted the first institutional coordination meeting for the Regata de Grandes Veleros Elcano 2027, popularly known as the Gran Regata, a meeting marking the start of planning for one of the major events linked to the centenary of the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, scheduled to take place between 10 and 16 June 2027 in the city of Cádiz.
During the meeting, the mayor of Cádiz, Bruno García, announced the appointment of Juancho Ortiza as municipal coordinator for the event, highlighting his experience in organising previous editions of the regatta and his role in managing major city events.
In this regard, he stressed that he has previously carried out these duties and that his track record has helped consolidate effective coordination models, especially in the 2023 edition, which was organised in a short period of time.
Bruno García pointed out that this first session focused on coordination between administrations, and announced that in later phases social entities and local community groups will be brought on board, as well as the Asociación de Amigos del Elcano and the Real Academia Española (RAE), among others, given the cultural, educational and social dimension of the event.
Likewise, he thanked the ongoing collaboration of the Armada Española and the Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Cádiz, highlighting the city's close relationship with the military institution and the importance of cooperation for holding events of this scale, as well as thanking the other institutions collaborating in the organisation of this event.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ayuntamiento de Cádiz from the areas of Presidency, Sports, Culture, Youth and Children, Festivals, and Urban Maintenance, together with officials from the Junta de Andalucía, the Subdelegación del Gobierno en Cádiz, the Subdelegación de Defensa, Capitanía Marítima, state security forces and bodies, Policía Local, Policía Adscrita a la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía, and the Consorcio de Bomberos, as well as the Universidad de Cádiz.
Municipal coordinator Juan José Ortiz outlined the preliminary work already carried out with the monitoring committee for the centenary of the Juan Sebastián de Elcano, whose honorary president is His Majesty the King, and highlighted the experience gained in organising events of this kind, as well as the readiness of the municipal technical team to tackle the planning.
For her part, the president of the Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Cádiz, Teófila Martínez, conveyed the institution's full readiness to collaborate in the development of the event, not only through its infrastructure, but also through its involvement in complementary activities. In this regard, the preparation of the Muelle-Ciudad area was addressed to ensure its operational readiness for both the departure and return of the regatta.
The government sub-delegate in Cádiz, Blanca Flores, conveyed the full commitment of the Administración General del Estado and the security forces to guarantee proper planning and execution of the event, emphasising the coordination of all resources involved.
The Second Admiral of AJEMA and president of the Comisión de la Regata, Gonzalo Sanz Alisedo, addressed the Armada's commitment to the city and the development of the regatta, highlighting the importance of the centenary of the Juan Sebastián de Elcano as a national celebration, declared an event of exceptional public interest, which seeks to project the values of the training ship to all citizens.
Likewise, the participation of the training ships from the Velas Latinoamérica association as part of the celebration programme was highlighted, along with the Armada's institutional support for the event's development.
With this first institutional meeting, the Ayuntamiento de Cádiz launches the organisational structure of the Regata Elcano 2027, an event that will once again position the city as an international benchmark linked to the sea, naval tradition, and its Atlantic projection.