Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre 2013, ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, www.trofeoprincesasofia.org
The renowned Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre regatta off Majorca opens the European regatta season today, setting sail to its 44th edition running from 30 March to 6 April. Following Melbourne and Miami, the Mediterranean sailing event is the third stop on the 2012–2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Series being the first European stage for the Olympic sailing classes. The world circuit sees around 850 Olympic classes sailors from 53 nations at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre 2013 in the bay of Palma. The Majorcan regatta has been elected for the fifth consecutive time as an ISAF event for the world’s top Olympic and Paralympic class competitors.
As a starting point of the Rio 2016 campaign, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma 2013 is presented with many novelties: The two new Olympic sailing disciplines 49er FX (women’s skiff) and Nacra 17 (mixed multihull) will be vying for success amongst the ten Olympic classes and the 2.4 Paralympic one. In the new Olympic catamaran class, 37 of the thirty-eight boat Nacra 17 fleet will race for the first time off Palma! Several new crews have teamed-up in the Nacra 17 class as two time Olympian Nathalie Brugger, making the switch from the Laser Radial, teaming up with Matias Buhler, former Men’s 470 sailor, for Switzerland. Three Dutch teams will be sailing at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma 2013, Mandy Mulder and Thijs Visser, Renee Groeneveld and Karel Begemann and Elke Delnooz and Mischa Heemskerk. The class also sees the American duo Sarah Newberry and John Casey, victors at Miami’s stage and the only team racing from the inaugural appearance of the multihull in January. Ranked World #1 with a perfect record and competing in at the bay of Palma as well, is Men’s 470 Olympic Champion Mat Belcher sailing with new crew Will Ryan (AUS). As part of the innovations, Palma sees adaptations of the new ISAF racing formats applied to the next instalment of the Sailing World Cup. Held across Club Nàutic S’Arenal and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, racing is scheduled to start at 11:00 local time on 1 April through to 6 April across the ten events. Gear up for your own successes by discovering professional sailing gear from the Gaastra Pro Collection 2013 guaranteeing maximum comfort!