Balearic sailing contributes 54 sailors to the first major Olympic classes event of 2022.

The 51st Princess Sofia Trophy Mallorca will showcase the excellent health of Olympic classes both internationally and in Spain. This is one of the conclusions drawn from the presentation made by representatives of the three organizing clubs this morning on the eve of the start of the competition program, which will fill the bay of Palma with sails starting next Monday.

According to Manuel Fraga, technical director of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, this synergy is crucial for the success of the event: “Without the contribution of each one, it would be impossible to organize a regatta with this number of classes and participants. I don’t think there is currently any regatta of Olympic classes in the world that handles the figures of the Sofia Mallorca: more than 800 boats and nearly 1,100 sailors.”

Spanish sailing comes to the event with a representation of 118 boats, which in the opinion of the technical director of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV), Francisco Gil, represents “a great success for the RFEV. In 2019, we were around 80 boats, so Spanish participation has increased by around 40%.”

The Balearic Islands are the autonomous community that contributes the most athletes to the national total: 54 sailors. For the president of the Balearic Sailing Federation (FBV), Catalina Darder, this figure represents a collective success of the work carried out by yacht clubs, coaches, and technicians.

“Without a doubt, the racing teams we have are the result of many years of commitment and investment in our sailors, who have been growing in quantity and quality. The Balearic Islands are one of the four federations with the most sailors at the national level and the first autonomous community in the number of participants in both national and international regattas.”

According to Francisco Gil, Balearic sailors in the youth categories of virtually all Olympic classes have been “making a strong impact for years, so the transition to Olympic classes has been natural and logical.”

Source: Communication Department of the 51st Princess Sofia Trophy Mallorca Images: Villegas Photo