Port Ginesta is positioning itself as an international enclave where brands such as Beneteau and Lagoon have established their bases for the entire Mediterranean. As if it were a Boat Show every day of the year, those interested in learning about the latest developments from these shipping companies can travel to the marina and test the boats directly at sea.
The French shipyard Beneteau, the world's largest manufacturer of monohulls ---motorboats or sailboats---, decided four years ago to locate its first international test port in Port Ginesta. The Catalan marina prevailed over other competitors such as its counterpart in Cannes. It achieved this thanks to factors such as its location, very close to Barcelona Airport ---one of its slogans has been El Port de l'Aeroport---. The natural park that surrounds them and the services they offer also played in its favor, including the possibility for companies to have apartments in the same port to accommodate their clients.
Beneteau landed in the Sitges marina in 2018 with five berths and has grown to 18. "It not only positions Port Ginesta but also Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain," defends the port captain, Rodrigo de Febrer, who has been in charge for 16 years and has previous experience as a captain of merchant ships ---vessels that transport containers---, which took him from one side of the globe to the other.
Beneteau's arrival in Port Ginesta was followed by another company from the group, Lagoon. This second shipping company specializes in catamarans. Lagoon started with four berths and is currently working to expand its base, moving to between 12 and 15 berths. For now, no other shipping company has installed its test port in Port Ginesta, but De Febrer points out that they are in talks to continue their global positioning process. Among those interested is an American company. Bases such as those of Beneteau and Lagoon are accompanied by the 200 nautical brands that are represented in the port, such as Leopard, Jeaneau, Excess, Aquila, Outremer, Bavaria and Bali.
10 million investment
Beyond the internationalization of Port Ginesta, the marina is undergoing an update, after its concession expired in 2019. In 2021, the Generalitat renewed the exploitation right to the company Port Ginesta SA, which has the Tubella and Balletbó families as majority shareholders, and did so until 2034. The new stage has begun with a renovation of the infrastructure, with an investment of ten million euros. In a year and a half, a third of the planned budget has already been executed and the workforce has increased, reaching 40 workers.
The modernization of the facilities has several axes, such as providing more space for catamarans, two-hull boats that are increasingly fashionable. The berths in marinas like Port Ginesta were originally designed for smaller boats, with beams that leave catamarans poorly positioned. Given this growing demand, the infrastructure is being reformulated to accommodate them. Since 2012, they already have 16 berths, De Febrer points out, but now an entire dock will be dedicated to them. Other aspects being emphasized are sustainability, coating buildings with CO2-absorbing paint or changing all the turrets that supply light and gas to boats for ones made with bottle caps collected from beaches, designed by a company from Olot, Marconn.
Opening up to Castelldefels
The planned action also aims to open Port Ginesta to its most direct surroundings, Castelldefels. "We are Sitges, but we are integrated into Baix Llobregat," De Febrer emphasizes. Many people spend weekends walking from one end of its promenade to the other, but when they reach the marina, they turn back as if it were an insurmountable border.
Port Ginesta will connect with the part of the promenade that belongs to Sitges, that of the small urban center of Les Botigues de Sitges, taking advantage of the reform that the city council is going to undertake. It will do so with the aim of shedding the label that only those who sail can enter its facilities. To achieve this, it will make it easier for walkers to access them and, incidentally, discover its restaurant offerings. In addition, the port holds a secret at the end of the path that they hope this new route can highlight, Cala Ginesta.
Port Ginesta will connect with the Castelldefels promenade, with the aim of shedding the label that only those who sail can enter its facilities.If some time ago Port Ginesta was known for the nights offered by its discotheques, the panorama now is completely different. Of the 12 nightlife venues that existed in 2006, only one remains and it is not expected to last long. "The model has changed," says De Febrer. Daytime leisure predominates, with a dozen restaurants and companies that teach surfing or rent boats without a license. Even a gym has opened.crossfit.
The America's Cup can extend beyond Barcelona
The choice of the world's most important nautical competition to hold its next edition in Barcelona has been a boost for the city, which hopes to project itself internationally as it did with the Olympic Games. But the Catalan capital does not have to be the only one to take the spotlight. Sitges has put itself forward to be a sub-venue for the regatta, considering that it has three ports and, one of them, De Febrer points out, is the largest marina in Spain, with a total area of 32 hectares and almost 1,500 berths. In addition, the remodeling that Port Ginesta is undergoing will be ready, precisely, for 2024. "The America's Cup will be concentrated in Barcelona, but it will affect the entire nautical world. I think the wave will reach us," ventures the port captain.