BCN: Solidarity with and heartfelt condolences to our many Spanish friends and readers
BARCELONA – The Olympics were hosted beautifully by Barcelona in 1992. Your Ed. had the privilege of serving as the USA member of the International Jury. In the three years prior to the '92 Olympics there were lead-up regattas with sailors and officials from around the world. Countless times over those four years, and in the twenty-five years since (having lived just down the road from BCN in Valencia 2004-2013, during AC32 and AC33 and beyond), we have enjoyed strolling up and down La Rambla with sailing and other friends and thousands of other visitors on any given night, including delightful wining and dining until the wee hours of the morning – not so wee by Spanish standards.
No doubt many of our readers will have also enjoyed this fantastic Spanish city, and Las Ramblas (the area, the street is La Rambla), and are surely feeling the same horror and anger as we watch the news unfolding of the tragic events in Barcelona Thursday afternoon.
As of a few minutes ago, Barcelona authorities are confirming 13 deaths and 50 injuries in what they are describing as a terrorist attack on La Rambla, the popular tourist boulevard that was immortalized in George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia.
All of us connected with SAILING ILLUSTRATED express our firm solidarity with the people of Spain, Catalunya and Barcelona, and heartfelt condolences to our many Spanish friends, sailing and otherwise, and to the families of the victims who likely are from nations beyond ESP.
Todos los que estamos vinculados a SAILING ILLUSTRATED expresamos nuestra firme solidaridad con el pueblo de España, Catalunya y Barcelona, y nuestras más sinceras condolencias a nuestros numerosos amigos españoles, navegando y de otra manera, ya las familias de las víctimas que provienen de las naciones más allá del ESP.
Las Ramblas area of beautiful Barcelona. File photo from two years ago almost to the day, August 16, 2015, by Albert Gea/Reuters via Public Radio International .