2004 WWC Wakeboard World Championships BULLETIN Nº 1

 

Over the course of the last 4 years the event has been held in France, South Africa, Brazil and Australia and I am pleased that this year the competition will take place in Seville, the heart of Spain.

All 3 regions of IWSF have hosted a World Wakeboard Championships which makes it a truly world competition and this year we are returning to region EAME.

Last year, in Sydney, Australia we had 144 riders attending from 19 countries.

Each year the event has grown from strength to strength and this year will be no different.

Seville is one of the largest historical centres in Europe and is also famous for its vitality and night life.

I look forward to seeing you in Seville, Spain for an awesome wakeboard event.

Colin Hart
Chairman
World Wakeboard Council

 

2004 WWC WAKEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Welcome To Seville

 

According to legend, Sevilla was founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilisation. It was called Hispalis under the Romans and Isbiliya with the Moors. Its high point in its history was following the discovery of America.

Sevilla lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest historical centres in Europe, it has the minaret of La Giralda, the cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure include Casa de Pilatos, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second picture gallery in Spain) , plus convents, parish churches and palaces.

It has hosted two international exhibitions (1929 and 1992) and is the administrative capital of Andalucía. The quarter of Triana on the other side of the river, La Macarena, Santa Cruz and San Bartolomé, the street of Las Sierpes, plus La Maestranza bullring, María Luisa park and the riverside walks are all representative images of Sevilla.

For all its important monuments and fascinating history, Seville is universally famous for being a joyous town. While the Sevillians are known for their wit and sparkle, the city itself is striking for its vitality. It is the largest town in Southern Spain, the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro.

The Sevillians are great actors and put on an extraordinary performance at their annual Fería de Abril, a week-long party of drink, food and dance which takes place day and night in more than a thousand especially mounted tents. But above all it allows the men to parade on their fine horses and the women to dance in brilliantly coloured gypsy dresses.

Immediately before that is Holy Week, Semana Santa, a religious festival where hooded penitents march In long processions followed by huge baroque floats on which sit Images of -the Virgin or Christ, surrounded by cheerful crowds. Both spring events are well worth experiencing.

In Seville, you will want to visit the old city, with the Cathedral and the Giralda tower at its heart. (You can climb the steps inside the tower for a magnificent view of the City) Very close by are the royal Mudéjar palace known as the Alcazar with marvellous gardens and the Santa Cruz quarter, with cramped streets, flowered balconies, richly decorated facades, hidden patios... Other sights not to be missed are, In the old city, the Casa de Pilatos, a large sixteenth-century mansion where Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance styles blend harmoniously amidst exuberant patios and gardens and, crossing the Triana bridge over the large Guadalquívir river, the l

Guadalquivir River

Guadalquivir River will host the celebration of these World Championships.
Its main features are the width and the tranquillity of its waters.
The riverbed runs through the city of Seville itself and divides it into two parts. Therefore, the history of the city has been influenced by the presence of Guadalquivir River.


Navigable until its mouth, it is still being used by commercial and tourist boats.

Different rowing and canoeing private clubs of the city take advantage of its waters for the practice of these sports, as well as other activities related to the aquatic environment, as the sailing, the long distance open water swimming, etc.

General Information

Official website

The official website of the 2004 WWC Wakeboard World Championships is www.sevilla-2004.com. Here you can find mor detailed information regarding the Championships, as well as phtoographs, the site map, and shortly also the full version of this Bulletin (the light version is already posted) which also includes the photographs and site map.

Tourism

Tourist Offices
The tourist offices (oficinas de turismo) in Seville offer free city-maps, brochures and flyers about sightseeing, cultural activities and places to stay.  Books and brochures about special themes, edited by the Junta de Andalucia, are available at around 1000 ptas. Quality of personal attention suffers under the large amount of visitors.

Tourist Offices run by the City Administration of Seville (Ayuntamiento):
· c/ Arjona, 28 | Tel: 954 505 600 | Fax: 954 505 605
· Paseo de las Delicias, 9 | Tel: 954 234 465 | Fax: 9542 73 078

Tourist Offfices run by the Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía):
· Avda. de la Constitución, 21 B | Tel: 954 221 404 / 954 218 157 | Fax: 954 229 753
· Aeropuerto de Sevilla | Tel: 954 449 128 | Fax: 954 449 129
· Estación de Santa Justa | Tel/Fax: 954 537 626

Service telephone 010 of Seville city administration:
· 010 (toll-free from Seville) (+34) 954 347 161 (International calls)
· with information on cultural activities and administration
· in Spanish, English, French and Italian language
· 8:00-22:00 hours operation

Opening hours
Shops open between 9-10:00 hours in the morning and then close around 14:00 hours for lunch time. In the afternoon they open again at 17:00 hours and close around 21:00 hours (small shops often earlier). On Saturday many small shops open only in the morning.
Hours kept by Monuments and Museums can vary considerably. Check at the Monuments section.

Security and Health

Personal Safety


Seville is a safe place to stay.
However, keep in mind your special situation being a visitor. You are a potential target of pickpockets and bag-snatchers. The situation is comparable to central European cities, better than for example Italy.
Also take into consideration that, due to its medieval structure, most streets are very narrow and dark at night.

Avoid:
· walking alone late at night (after Midnight)
· wearing your wallet in a trouser pocket
· showing unfolded city-maps
· leaving things visible in a car
· hanging your handbag over a chair

Be careful:
· with cameras and bags
· on arrival to Seville by public transport (bus or train station)

Seville’s most problematic spot is the area between calle Feria and the Alameda de Hercules in Macarena quarter. Street prostitution and public drug consumption. The Alameda itsself is a preferred location to go out at night for young people.

Police

Three police forces exist in Spain:

Policia Local
Responsible for traffic inside the cities and minor crime. Call them in case of an accident or if your car has been towed away. Tel: 092.

Policia Nacional
Responsible for major crime. Tel (emergency): 091.

Guardia Civil
Mainly responsible for the country side. Call in case of a traffic accident outside the city. Tel: 062.

 

Medical Treatment

Pharmacies:
Pharmacies (farmacia) are marked with a green cross.
Pharmacies with 24h service duty (farmacia de guardia)
After arrival in Seville: Inform on 010 service telephone, local newspaper or information sheet at the entrance of any pharmacy about the closest open pharmacy.

Doctor:
In case you need a doctor (médico), go to the emergency reception (urgencias) of any hospital. This public service is cheap and works 24h a day. Alternatively visit a private docter.

Hospitals:
The two major hospitals in Seville are
· Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio | Tel: 954 248 181
· Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena | Tel: 954 557 400

Emergency Calls

Police: 091
Ambulance: 061

For your information: The above standing emergency call numbers are just 091 National Police (Policía Nacional) and 061 National Health Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Salud INSALUD). All the different police forces and several health organizations provide an emergency telephone number of their own. We do not mention them to avoid confusion.

Money

Money Exchange/Cash

Exchange rate:
The fixed exchange rate of Pesetas to Euro is: 166,4 Ptas. = 1 Euro
>From 1.1.2002 to 30.3.2002 both currencies may be used. Then the Peseta disappears.
Use a Currency Converter to convert Spanish Peseta or Euro to your local currency.

Money exchange:
Exchange cash at a bank. Currency exchange offices are available at generally higher rates. Always take into consideration exchange rate and commission.
During the afternoon or week-ends money exchange can be done at large hotels.

Cash mashines (ATMs):
ATMs accept common debit or credit cards (VISA, MASTERCARD). Don’t forget the PIN number.

Banks

Be patient at banks in Seville. Few bank clerks are available, so queues at cash counters can be large.

Business Hours
Monday-Friday: 8:30-14:00 hours
Saturday: 8:30-13:00 hours
(In summer time (May-September) banks are closed on Saturday)

Credit Cards

Major credit cards are widely accepted at hotels and shops. Common commissions are 2-4%. Sometimes shop owners invent excuses to avoid credit card payments.

Telephone

Telephone Country Code of Spain: 34
Regular land line numbers to the City of Seville generally start with: (++34) 954 XXX XXX

Toll Free within Spain: 900 XXX XXX
Be careful with other 90X numbers, which can be very expensive.

Mobile telephone numbers: 6XX XXX XXX

Post

Spain’s still state-owned post has a bad fame for being very slow and inefficient, especially over nacional holidays like Christmas/New Year, when standard letters can take longer than 3 weeks.
· Central Post Office | Avda. de la Constitución, 32 | Tel: (+34) 95 421 95 85

CORREOS | toll-free information Tel: 902 197 197.

Transport

Visa information

Please contact the Spanish Consulate or Embassy in your country to find out about visa requirements.

Plane


Seville Airport is conveniently located, 7 kilometres from central Seville. There are few scheduled international flights. Cheap charter flights to Seville are scarce. For more economical flights, flying into Jerez de la Frontera and Málaga, and taking the bus to Seville is another option.

· Seville San Pablo Airport | Tel: 954 449 000
· Iberia General | toll-free information Tel: 902 400 500

Airport bus: Leaves every 30 min to the Puerta de Jerez of central Seville.
One-way-ticket: 2,20 Euros.

Train

Seville has good rail links to Barcelona, Cádiz, Córdoba, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, Granada, Huelva, Madrid, Málaga, Ronda and Valencia.
The fast-track AVE railway line provides a 2h 30min connection to Madrid every hour.



Information and reservation by telephone: 902 240 202
Unfortunately you cannot make a valid reservation by telephone (the ticket has to be picked up 48 hours before departure, which is just not possible for passengers travelling from abroad).

Santa Justa train station is conveniently located. You can either walk (10-15 min) from the station to the city center. If you have a suitcase, it is recomended to take a taxi.

Bus

Buses
Travelling by bus tends to be cheaper than by train. Access/services to various cities is more available (for example: 10 buses a day to Málaga). There are two bus stations in Seville, each providing services to separate cities:
· Estación de Autobuses Plaza de Armas | Tel: 954 908 040
· Estación de Autobuses Prado de San Sebastián | Tel: 954 417 111

Prado de San Sebastián provides bus services to cities of Andalusia, whereas Plaza de Armas connects with Rest of Spain and the Province of Huelva.

Local Buses
Orange painted city buses are the predominant public transportation. Information about bus lines at
Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla (TUSSAM) | Tel: 954 420 011

Weather in Seville


Best climatic conditions to visiting Seville are in spring and late autumn. Summer is very hot (up to 45 °C); Winter can be rainy, with minimum temperature always above 5 °C at night. The good point of winter is, that you avoid the tourist crowds.

Altitud: Above sea level 8 metres.

 

Temperature Máximun Mínimun Med. máx. Med. mín
October 36 6 25’6 14’1
Winds
E. S. O. Año
4’26 3’67 3’81 4’16
Water Temperature Máx. Mín. Med.
October 0 0 0

 

 

ACCOMMODATION OFFER

 

 

Price per room / night in B&B (taxes included)

HOTEL

Nº Roms AD PAX MP PAX PC PAX INDIVID. SUPLEMENT DISCOUNT

3ra pax

Barcelo Renacimiento

40

61,55

81,25

107,05

38,50

15%

Hotel Isla Cartuja

30

61,55

79,98

98,50

29,55

20%

Hotel Eurosuites

30

31,05

40,05

48,95

24,50

15%

Hotel Sevilla Congresos

30

42,85

55,25

67,50

35,95

---------

Hotel Solucar

30

35,55

46,85

57,95

30,00

15%

Hotel Macarena

40

56,00

70,00

83,50

32,00

20%

Car Residence

40

37,25

51,50

65,00

20,00

---------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To arrange the accommodation, meals and local transport of the media people we have an official Agency

OFFICIAL TRAVEL AGENCY

VECISA (Viajes El Corte Inglés)
The contact person they have for reservation is Juan Ramón Gómez
Phone: ++34.95.450.66.03
E -mail:
sevilladeportes@viajeseci.es