The last day of competition confirmed the 470 Mixed title for the Spaniards Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman, the new world leader in the new mixed crew class.
Highlights
The 51st Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca came to an end with an exciting final day in which the Bay of Palma once again reaffirmed its status as an excellent regatta course.
After five days of intense competition, the best of each class took to the water today to finish the job in a combination of Medal Races for all classes (reserved for the top ten, and with double points) except for the new iQFOiL and Formula Kite, which premiered an interesting qualifying system to define the field for an exciting final.
As the first scoring event for the Hempel World Cup Series 2022, the 51 Princesa Sofía Mallorca served as the starting shot to begin defining the list of favorites in the race towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
470 Mixed: Xammar/Brugman, new world benchmark
The Catalans Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman achieved a well-deserved title in the premiere of the 470 in the mixed category.
The bronze medalist of 470 Men in Tokyo 2020 and his new crew capped an excellent week of competition with a fourth in the Medal Race, a result more than enough to become champions, with a 17-point lead over the Italians Giacomo Ferrari/Bianca Caruso and 22 over the third place, the French Kevin Peponnet/Aloise Retornaz. The Spanish tandem is now officially the world reference for the new 470 Mixed.
49er and 49erFX: Botín and Trittel fourth
Diego Botín and Florian Trittel faced the 49er Medal Race from fourth position and real podium options. But an eighth in the final test ended the aspirations of the Spanish, who finished their participation fourth. The title went to the French Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin, followed by the Americans Iam Barrows/Hans Henken and the Poles Mikolaj Staniul/Jakub Sztorch.
In 49erFX, the Dutch Odile Van Aanholt and Annette Duetz took to the water with the title secured. In the fight for silver, the Olympic champions from London and Tokyo, the Brazilians Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, won the Medal Race to win silver in Mallorca. Completing the podium were the Italians Jana Germani/Giorgia Bertuzzi, who crossed the finish line of today’s final after the Brazilians.
iQFOiL: Lamadrid, sub champion
The premiere of the iQFOiL in the Olympic race confirmed the spectacular nature of this new type of flying windsurfing. A debut in which the Sevillian Pilar Lamadrid presented her credentials to the glory of Paris 2024 by signing a convincing second final position in the iQFOiL Women category. She was only surpassed by the 2021 world and European champion, the French Hélène Noesmoen. Polish Maia Dziarnowska finished third.
In the men’s iQFOiL Men, the title went to the British Andrew Brown, followed by the Italian Nicolò Renna and the Dutch Luuc Van Opzeeland.
Formula Kite: Gisela Pulida, fifthstrong
The Formula Kite podium was resolved in a classification group that defined the four components of an exciting final for the medals. In Formula Kite Men there were no surprises, and the title went to the Frenchman Theo de Ramecourt, who took advantage of this last test to sign the 14th partial victory of the week and become the first champion of the class in the history of Sofia. His compatriot Benoit Gomez was second and the British Connor Bainbridge, third.
In Formula Kite Women, the winner was the American Daniela Moroz. The current world champion had to prevail in the final to win a closely contested title against the French Lauriane Nolot and the British Ellie Aldridge. The Catalan Gisela Pulido completed her participation in a magnificent fifth position after a week in which she demonstrated constant progression.
Nacra 17: Champions to the end
The Medal Race of the Nacra 17 class was presented as a battle for second position, after the Italians Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti confirmed their title on the previous day. But the current Olympic champions decided not to slow down, also winning the Medal Race to say goodbye to the Bay of Palma with nine victories out of a possible 12 and a third as the worst partial, a box that allowed them to be crowned absolute winners of the 51st Princess Trophy Sofia Mallorca. They were followed on the class podium by the Finns Sinem Kurtba and Akseli Keskinen, and the British John Gimson and Anna Burnet.
ILCA: Titles for Becket and Douglas
The young British Michael Beckett is the new champion of ILCA 7 after beating some of the class’ leaders in the Bay of Palma, including the current Tokyo Olympic champion, the Australian Matt Wearn, who finished second after an excellent progression from a disappointing first day. The 2020 world champion, German Philipp Buhl, closed the podium.
In ILCA 6, the Canadian Sarah Douglas had already secured the title with one day remaining, so the excitement in the Medal Race was diverted to the fight for silver between the British Hannah Snellgrove and the Greek Vasileia Karachaliou. Snellgrove won the duel to become runner-up.
Absolute title for Tita and Banti
Since its origin in 1968, the Princesa Sofía Mallorca has awarded the best sailor of each edition, whose name will be engraved on the base of a perpetual trophy donated by H.M. Queen Sofia. Thanks to their excellent performance during the regatta, the Italians Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti join a select club that includes sports legends such as Sir Ben Ainslie (2011), Theresa Zabell and Begoña Vía Dufresne (1995), Jordi Calafat and Kiko Sánchez Luna (1989), Santi Lange and Miguel Saubidet (1986 and 1987), or Alejandro Abascal and Miquel Noger (1979).
The 51 Princesa Sofía Mallorca says goodbye reaffirming its status as a benchmark among Olympic class regattas. A huge event in which more than a thousand sailors of 62 nationalities participated aboard nearly 800 boats distributed in ten classes, including the historic debut of the iQFOiL and Formula Kite in the Olympic race. A huge logistical effort that once again demonstrated the coordination between the three organizing clubs (Club Nàutic S’Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and Real Club Náutico de Palma), together with the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, the Balearic Federation of Sailing, World Sailing, and the support of Balearic public institutions and sponsors such as Iberostar, Trasmed and OK Mobility.
FINAL CLASSIFICATION 51 SAR PRINCESA SOFIA MALLORCA TROPHY
470 Mixed
1.- Jordi Xammar y Nora Brugman, ESP
2.- Giacomo Ferrari/Bianca Caruso ITA
3.- Kevin Peponnet/Aloise Retornaz, FRA
49er
1.- Erwan Fischer/Clement Pequin, FRA
2.- Ian Barrows/Hans Henken, USA
3.- Mikolaj Staniul/Jakub Sztorch, POL
49erFX
1.- Odile Van Aanholt/Annette Duetz, NED
2.- Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze, BRA
3.- Jana Germani/Giorgia Bertuzzi, ITA
Formula Kite Men
1.- Theo De Ramecourt, FRA
2.- Benoit Gómez, FRA
3.- Connor Bainbridge, GBR
Formula Kite Women
1.- Daniela Moroz, USA
2.- Lauriane Nolot, FRA
3.- Ellie Aldridge, GBR
ILCA 6
1.- Sarah Douglas, CAN
2.- Hannah Snellgrove, GBR
3.- Vasileia Karachaliou, GRE
ILCA 7
1.- Michael Beckett, GBR
2.- Matt Wearn, AUS
3.- Philipp Buhl, GER
iQFOiL Men
1.- Andrew Brown, GBR
2.- Nicolò Renna, ITA
3.- Luuc Van Opzeeland, NED
iQFOiL Women
1.- Helene Noesmoen, FRA
2.- Pilar Lamadrid, ESP
3.- Maja Dziarnowska, POL
NACRA 17
1.- Ruggero Tita/Caterina Banti, ITA
2.- Sinem Kurtbay/Akseli Keskinen, FIN
3.- John Gimson/Anna Burnet, GBR
Absolute champion 51st SAR Princess Sofia Mallorca Trophy
– Ruggero Tita/Caterina Banti, ITA
Source: Communication Office of the 51st Princess Sofia Trophy Mallorca
Images: Villegas Photo
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