The presence of Hondarribia will be one of the major novelties this year in the Emakumeen Traineru Elkartea (ETE) league, the second tier of women's rowing competitions. The Ama Guadalupekoa has already delivered several notable performances. In the Gipuzkoa Championship, for instance, it surpassed four top-tier boats, and now it is emerging as the strong favorite to achieve promotion to the Euskotren League alongside Zarautz, last year's champion, and an improving Kaiku crew.
Osertz Alday has taken over from Iker Cortés as the head of the Hondarribia boat, which last competed in the second division in 2022.
Hernani will be the third and final Guipuzcoan trainera in this category, which has reduced from nine to eight boats following the absence of Camargo and the promotion of San Juan, the second-placed finisher in 2022.
Ondarroa, Deusto, Isuntza, and Portugalete will complete a category featuring fourteen regattas. As usual, promotion will be decided in a two-race play-off involving the top two boats from the ETE League, representatives from the Galician League, and the second-to-last finisher from the Euskotren League. The bottom-placed team in the top category would be directly relegated to the ETE League.
The silver category will commence this Saturday with a time trial in the Cantabrian town of Astillero (5:00 PM).
“"We have a lingering regret from the relegation and we want to move back up."
Hondarribia's patrona, Miren Garmendia, does not shy away from the favorite status but issues a warning: "We cannot relax. Even if we give our 100%, we will have to fight, and fight hard." Garmendia highlights that despite "having been relegated" last year, "we have only had one departure" from the squad, "and all the rest of us wanted to continue with this project. We have a lingering regret from the relegation and we want to move back up together".
The patrona identifies Zarautz as the main rival for the Hondarribia crew: "They also have that regret from last year, when despite winning the league they didn't get promoted".
“"We intend to put up a fight, win or lose."
Zarautz's coach, Juanjo Etxarte, aims to compete in the promotion play-off to the Euskotren League again: "We are going for everything, there are no excuses. We will try to perform well to be among the top two". "We intend to put up a fight, win or lose". Etxarte names Hondarribia and Kaiku as the main rivals, and believes the regattas will be "neck and neck between two or three boats, but without ruling anyone out".
La Enbata maintains "practically the same crew" that won the category last year, "with four new additions". The coach recalls that in 2025, "missing out on La Concha hurt us greatly. We qualified on time, but a penalty eliminated us, and that significantly impacted us for the play-off", in which San Juan achieved promotion to the top tier.
“"The initial objective was to participate in the ETE league, and that has been achieved."
Hernani "has suffered greatly to complete the crew this season". The coach of Maialen, Asier Ocón, explains that the squad has faced numerous departures and had to be reinforced with three rowers from the Mediterranean and five athletes from Tolosaldea who previously competed with Hernani rowers in batel categories at the youth level. "The initial objective was to participate in the ETE League, and that has been achieved. Given the state of rowing, it's a nice goal".
Ocón explains that "the team is young. As the season progresses, we will integrate the team. By mid-July, we should be able to perform at a good level, but we are behind other crews". From then on, Ocón would like to "compete to win the first heat. "Even if you don't win, having that aspiration".
