The truth behind this 2023 work recap is that I was well into the first part when it all vanished into the digital abyss. Let’s hit the restart button, shall we?
I must admit that when people ask me what I do, I always answer: social media manager.
In reality, it’s a bit unfair that I talk abot myself like this, because I do much more… I do mainly video (photogrphy I leave it for the photographers), with my iPhone, I edit the videos, I do interviews, add subtitles to them in Spanish or Engish, I organize the content, I create schedules, help organize media and press teams, make all the necessary research for things to work on the online world, I design basic social media designs, etc, etc.
So, Julia, what is your job? Social media Swiss (Spanish) Knife, maybe? Weelllll, let’s go back to 2023!
2023, what a ride! Both on a personal and professional front, it’s been a whirlwind of intensity. I found myself in situations I never imagined, collaborating with incredible individuals at extraordinary events. So, here’s a brief rundown of the journey:
Quick reminder; all the content you see is shot on iPhone (this is not an advertising -I wish it was -), but I wanted to clarify that I don’t use more than my iPhone, some very expensive microphones and occasionally the Gopro gets a cameo as well (also not an add).
The year kicked off and concluded in Lanzarote, the birthplace of my social media sailing career. After covering the iQFOiL Lanzarote Games – the event that marked the beginning of my collaboration with iQFOiL as well in 2022 – I briefly joined my friends from Sailing Energy for The Ocean Race for a quick gig. Then came my second-favorite trip ever: Japan. Exploring Tokyo and Kyoto before heading to Miyakojima for the main event was an absolute highlight.
Following Japan, I dived into one of my favorite events ever – Trofeo Princesa Sofia by Iberostar. Over a thousand boats, three locations (due to the huge amount of competitors and boats)- it’s very difficult to cover the action both on land and in the water due to the amount of space you have to cover, but somehow I love this event and it’s people.
And, I thought it would be worth quickly explaining why this is such a big event in numbers: It turns out that, as you might have noticed, sailing has like a trillion different boats but, in the Olympics there’s 10 different disciplines (they call it classes) and in reality there are less, but since they give a medal to each gender or class, they do 10:
- iQFOiL Men (this is windsurf on a foil despite the strange name and for you to understand)
- iQFOiL Women (the girls do sail a smaller windsurf sail than men)
- Kitefoil Men (this strange hybrid someone came up with)
- Kitefoil Women (seriously, there’s another whole article on this topic, but I’ll leave it for another time)
- Nacra 17 (a pretty cool foiling catamaran sailed by one man and one woman)
- 49er (a non foiling boat sailed by two chicos)
- 49er FX (same boat but smaller and sailed by two chicas).
- 470 (it used to be a two chicos boat, now it’s a one chico- one chica boat)
- ILCA 7 (you’ve probably sailed this boat at your local sailing school. Sailed by 1 man)
- ILCA 6 (same boat but smaller sail and sailed by a chica)
So yes, covering and informing about so many disciplines is esentially a “Johny, la gente está muy loca” but it’s a very fun event, super good vibes and a passionate and loving team of individuals working for it to happen year after year (last year was its 52nd edition).
Then, one of the best surprises of the year came along, Tidal Pulse Media reached out to help them on a mission to cover the ClubSwan Racing Calendar and, I loved every minute of it. ClubSwan meant I went from smaller boats that compete in the Olympics to big luxury boats with a lot of ex-Olympians and great sailors from all over the world. I did four events with them and I loved capturing every second of the many gigabytes I have in my phone.
Also, for you to have a bit more of an insight of what ClubSwan is (because I believe their story is pretty cool and worth knowing) , let’s go into a quick one:
Nautor Swan was a Finish shipyard (place were they build boats) that has a lot of history. Someone with a vision in 1966 started it, boats became mega succesful but the shipyard caught fire. The own workers of the shipyard believed so much in the brand and its vision that they invested their salary in bringing the shipyard back on its feet. Long story short, the Finish Shipyard was about to close its doors definitely, when Leornardo Ferragamo (yes, the luxury Italian Fashion brand) visited it, saw a great oportunity and decided to take ownership taking it back to life.
Swan yachts are something like the Rolls Royce of the sea, and ClubSwan is a luxury circuit whith a really high level of sailors involved , where the owner can sail exciting regattas and find themselves at some very glamourous events. Being part of ClubSwan is like being part of a family of those who are lucky enough to own a Swan.
There are no boats in stock, they’re only made under order, so you can’t go into a shop and say, “I want this one” and take it home, they have to be build for you.
If I am not wrong, the fastest monohull ever is a Swan 125 (named Skorpios), I guess it says something about the company (in sailing you have boats with different hulls, your typical sailing boat will be a monohull, a catamaran will have two hulls, a trimaran three… Sailing people must be wondering why I am explaining these things, but not everyone knows or understand about it so I hope now you do).
At the end of the day, being able to help this brand communicate their racing part of the brand, is a huge honour and I am so much looking forward to the 2024 season with them!
50th Rolex Fastnet Race
Rolex Fastnet Race! Tidal Pulse Media called to chip in for the 50th anniversary of one of the most prestigious events in the world.
– This year was its 50th aniversary.
– It takes place every two years.
– The sailors that finish the event (because not everyones does) complete about 695 nautical miles which, for normal humans means 1287 kmm, to arrive in France.
– The landmark of the event (and what appears in the logo) is getting your photo rounding the Fastnet rock (probably after going through some very rough conditions).
It’s hard to describe what working at an event like this is like… I’ll try: covering the event was like being in a race ourselves, staying vigilant to capture the most crucial moments. It was challenging, but one of the most rewarding experiences in my career so far. In the same week, we worked in France and England (meaning we had to take planes, trains and ferries in order to arrive places), which is quite unique already.
The Rolex Fastnet Race… Picture this, gozilla-like (in size) boats sailed by professionals competing but also way smaller boats sailed by a daughter and a father, going through the same race course, same rough (or calm) conditions. I’d say that’s a pretty good summary.
Since the boats were arriving at any time to the finish line, we had to be on watch, just like if we were competing, to be able to cover the important boats arriving. Although it was very hard due to the amount of content you have to filter and create and due to the small number of hours we could sleep at times, it’s been one of my favorite experiences and jobs I’ve done so far.
I’ll start wraping up this 2023 Recap with the World Sailing and Rolex Sailor of the Year Awards. A gala filled with pleasant moments, including my fan encounter with Tom Slingsby. Once again, I got the honor to inform the social media world about what was happening at the awards. But Julia, what exactly are these awards?
Well, long story short, this is the Oscar’s of the Sailing World. There are 7 awards given every year (it started in 1994):
- Rolex Sailor of the Year Women (the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the world of sailing. The Awards are presented every year to one male and one female winner)
– Won by Kirsten Neuschäfer - Rolex Sailor of the Year Man
– Won by Tom Slingsby - Sustainability Award (celebrates the effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly-replicable sustainability initiatives, aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030)
– Won by The Magenta Project - The President’s Development Award (recognizes those who strive to grow and develop sailing either nationally or internationally)
– Won by Andrew Simpson Foundation - Team of the Year (presented to a crew of two or more sailors from any category of sailing and celebrates teams who personify the sporting values of integrity, ambition, resilience, and resourcefulness)
-Won by The 11th Hour Racing Team - Boat of the Year (recognizes outstanding boat design, innovative concepts and groundbreaking technological advancements that are changing the face of sailing, pioneering change across the world)
– Won by the AC40 (the “training boat” of the America’s Cup and the boat the Youth and Women will use). - Beppe Croce Trophy (is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing.) In between many things, Croce was the first non-British president of the International Sailing Federation.
– Won by Dick Rose
So this is it, I hope you enjoyed reading my 2023 recap. Thank you very much to all my new and old clients, it’s a true honour to be part of your events and to have your confidence in my work. If you want to see all the events I’ve done until now (I just finished my 50th event)…
