More than 1,700 sailors, coaches, and support staff from 70 nations are descending on Palma, Mallorca for the Trofeo Princesa Sofía. This is the traditional season opener for the Olympic classes circuit, and the first regatta of 2024 where all 10 classes compete.
With this being an Olympic year, the racing is all the more important, with many nations using the event as a qualifier for athletes to compete at Paris 2024.
As Regatta Director Javier Zaynoun explained:
"In an Olympic year, the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar will be the focus of all eyes. In the final stretch to Paris 2024, the great Mallorcan regatta is the first event where the ten Olympic classes that will compete in Marseille this August will meet. For some teams, the Sofia Iberostar is a selection regatta, and for others it will serve as a test to measure their form and fine-tune their equipment in preparation for the Olympic Games."
Racing starts Monday. We will bring you updates from the event, and you can follow the results as they happen on https://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/
Mark has been managing sailing websites since 1996, always being at the forefront of technology, and now manages the combined Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com network. He has covered events such as the International Moth World Championship and Cowes Week, focusing on the sailors' thoughts and words. Mark has been European Champion in the Farr 30 & J/24 class and has won numerous UK titles, and competes regularly in local and national events in dinghies and sportsboats.