As proof of its commitment to promoting sport, teamwork and diversity, Siemens Gamesa today presented its sponsorship of a women's sailing team from Getxo, Bizkaia, the region where the company's headquarters are located.
Under the motto 'The Power of Diversity', the six-woman crew will participate in the three most important championships in the J80 One-Design category: the Spanish Championship (Santander, June 13-16), the World Championship (Bilbao, July 13-22) and the Spain Cup (A Coruña, 11-13 October).
Skipper Lourdes Bilbao, who has extensive regatta experience, expressed her excitement at challenge and thanked Siemens Gamesa for its support: "I've been sailing since I was a kid, and I've always wanted to form a female sailing team. Actions like this help to promote the sport among younger people, particularly girls."
Bilbao will head a crew of women, aged between 19 and 50, who are at different stages of their lives but share a passion for sport, competition, teamwork and excellence. Those are values that define Siemens Gamesa and that have led the company to initiate this sponsorship.
María Cortina, Director of Communication, Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Siemens Gamesa, commented during the presentation that "just as for sailors, the wind is the driving force behind our company. We are the world leader in the wind power industry, with a strong presence in all facets of the business: offshore, onshore and services. All these business lines rely on the wind, an inexhaustible clean energy source."
The Siemens Gamesa crew will compete in the J80 class, one of the most widely-known categories in the world, in which there are national associations in more than twenty countries and in which both professional and amateur crews compete.
All boats in the J80 class are identical: 8 metres length overall, 2.5 metres beam, and 1,400 kilograms weight. Crews, which may comprise 4-6 people, compete under very strict rules that allow very few changes to the vessels. This ensures uniformity between the boats, which can attain a speed of 20 knots (about 37 km per hour).
