Garcia Brothers in Arms will represent We Are Water
Barcelona brothers Bruno and Willy Garcia will carry the name of the We Are Water Foundation around the world in the Barcelona World Race, continuing a popular association started in the 2010-2011 edition of the two handed race around the world with Jaume Mumbru and Cali Sanmarti.
The duo, Bruno is a Cardiologist and his younger brother, Willy, who has a jewellery business, were the last to enter the 2014-2015 Barcelona World Race. They will sail the IMOCA 60 which finished fourth in the last race as Estrella Damm, and have spent recent weeks completing their training.
Although it is their first time in a round-the-world race together, Bruno competed in the last edition with French ace Jean Le Cam. But after ten days they had to retire into the Cape Verde islands because their mast broke. But that experience has made Bruno Garcia even more determined to finish this race with his brother who has been partner in many of his previous races.
Together and individually the very experienced brothers are among the early Catalan pioneers who forged a pathway for the current and recent generation of Spanish solo and shorthanded sail racers.
They raced in the Mini 650 and Figaro class since the early 1990s including the MiniTransat and the AG2R. But more recently Bruno returned to the MiniTransat solo Transatlantic last year and finished fifth Prototype overall with Sampaquita, a Lombard designed boat from 1998 which he first raced 13 years before.
Now they have the chance to realise their shared dream of racing around the world together as a duo.
The Garcias are bonded not just by their genes but by their passion for the sea, and the mountains in winter, an exceptional shared level of mutual trust and respect. They both have high-powered successful careers. Medicine has been Bruno’s love since he was young.
He noted sagely pre-start in 2010:
“Sailing and medicine are my passions but it is very hard to do medicine as a hobby!”
Speaking as their partnership with the We Are Water Foundation was confirmed he said:
"I am very happy because the We Are Water Foundation are a sponsor which has already participated in the Barcelona World Race. I am happy because it is a sponsor from my country, Spain. My kids love the idea and the colours. And above all we are proud to be taking over the baton from Jaume Mumbrú and Cali Sanmartí, who are our friends and made a great race last time. It is such a nice responsibility to represent the Foundation and the great work it does.”
The We Are Water Foundation is a foundation which was set up in Barcelona by Roca, the global bathroom and sanitary ware manufacturers. The missions of the Foundation are, firstly, to promote awareness of the need to create a new attitude towards the equitable development and sustainable management of the world’s water resources, and secondly to develop initiatives and actions which promote the provision of adequate, sustainable water resources. As such the Foundation’s activities include infrastructure provision and development, education, health and research concentrated in some of the world’s most deprived areas.
Xavier Torras, director of the We Are Water Foundation, underlines the special feeling which makes them want to be part of the Barcelona World Race adventure again, four years after the last time: "During these four years we have worked in the most disadvantaged areas of the world, developing more than 20 aid projects. And it is especially important for us to publicize the problems that are causing the lack of water and sanitation which affect almost one third of the world population. Therefore, we are pleased that Willy and Bruno Garcia help us with this boat, to carry this message of solidarity around the world. "
