53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is shaping up to be a strong showcase regatta

Michael Beckett (GBR), ILCA 7 champion 2023 © Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofía

With the first entry registration period now closed, most of the racers who will compete at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar have already registered.

With just under a month to go until the first start guns on the Bay of Palma, nearly 800 teams have applied to compete in the showcase, curtain raising Mallorcan Olympic class regatta, which will be held from 29th March to 6th April.

The 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is just under a month away, and registrations have come in at an impressive pace. Nearly 800 crews, so more than a thousand sailors from 71 countries have started their procedures to compete in the Bay of Palma.

"Looking at the references of the world and European championships of the classes that will participate in the Sofia, we are on target," explains Ferrán Muniesa, the event's sporting director. Four disciplines are holding their pinnacle and continental championships a few days before the event: the 49er and 49erFX World Championship will be held this week in Lanzarote (4 to 10 March) and the European Championship of the two categories of Formula Kite in Los Alcázares (Murcia) from 15 to 24 March. Several teams in these classes have not yet made their participation in the Sofia official.

"The numbers are good. As it is an Olympic year, we don't expect to come close to the historic entry level of 2023, when we had close to a thousand boats, but we are moving in similar numbers to the last editions of the Olympic year. In 2016, before the Rio de Janeiro Games, we had 784 boats; in 2020, before the cancellation due to the pandemic, there were 761 entries. Disciplines like ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 have already reached their participation quotas, so we have closed the entries."

Among the teams that have already confirmed their presence at the 53rd edition of the Sofia are several of last year's champions: Japan's Keiju Okada/Miho Yoshioka (470 Mixed), Brazil's Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze (49er FX), Singapore's Max Maeder (Formula Kite Men), France's Lauriane Nolot (Formula Kite Women), the Netherlands' Marit Bouwmeester (ILCA 6), Great Britain's Michael Beckett (ILCA 7) and Great Britain's Emma Wilson (iQFOiL Women). The participation of the recently proclaimed 470 Mixed World Champions in the waters of Mallorca, the Spaniards Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman, is also assured.

Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta

As is tradition, many teams take advantage of the dates prior to the Trofeo Princesa Sofía to advance their Olympic preparation in the Bay of Palma. Once again this year, they are invited to participate in the Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta, which will see the men's and women's Nacra and iQFOiLs compete from the 8th to the 10th of March, and the 470 Mixed from the 15th to the 17th of March.

The 53 Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is jointly organised by the Club Nàutic S'Arenal, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the Real Federación Española de Vela and the Federación Balear de Vela, with the support of World Sailing and the main Balearic public institutions.

More information, at www.trofeoprincesasofia.org.