2024, a Year of World Championships in Mallorca

The Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm temperatures, steady winds, "Embats," and somewhat changing wave conditions, make the Balearic Islands a privileged place to hold high-level regattas.

These climatic conditions and the comprehensive facilities of our yacht clubs not only make Mallorca a chosen training base for sailors from around the world every year but have also caused various classes to set their sights on the island as a competition venue. Therefore, this year our waters have become the venue for different world championships.

The spectacle of international sailing that motivates this summary began in February at Club Nàutic S’Arenal, an entity with years of experience in organizing large local, national, and international regattas such as the Princess Sofia Trophy. Thus, S’Arenal removed the thorn of the European championship that could not be held in 2020 due to the cancellation amid the pandemic and COVID, finally becoming, in 2024, the venue for the 470 World Championship.

A few months from the Paris Olympics, 61 crews from 26 countries participated in this first major challenge of the mixed class 470 season, which still had four Olympic spots at stake at that time.

After five intense days of competition and 11 races, Spaniards Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman won the world title and set a direct course for the Paris Olympics hoping to win a medal for Spain.

The competition continued in the Bay of Palma in September with the dispute of the world title of the J/70 class. A hundred boats from 25 countries met from September 14 to 21 at the Real Club Náutico de Palma to compete in the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds.

Sailors from the world's most numerous one-design class filled the Bay of Palma with their sails and completed five intense days of competition, after which the American "Yonder" by Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot, leader since the first day of the World, was proclaimed world champion of the class.

October closed the year of world championships in Mallorca with two major international competitions. The Real Club Náutico de Palma once again hosted a world championship for one-designs, but this time for the Swan class.

A total of 28 teams from 13 countries divided into ClubSwan 36, ClubSwan 42, and ClubSwan 50 classes competed for four days of intense competition sailing in the Bay of Palma at this World Championship of the ClubSwan class.

"Nadir," from Mallorcan owner Pedro Vaquer and based at Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, knew how to dominate the rest of the fleet and the challenging weather conditions, with unstable winds and occasional showers, to win the world title of the ClubSwan 42 class.

The victory in the ClubSwan 50 class also had a Spanish flavor. "Olymp," by Mark Bezner, sailing under the German flag and representing the Real Club Náutico de Palma, took advantage of the last day to climb two positions and win by a point over the Monegasque Moonlight, by Graeme Peterson.

Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita was in charge of closing this year of world competitions with the 2024 IQFoil Youth & Junior World Championship. The club fully engaged in organizing its first world championship and did so in style, hosting a total of 375 sailors from 35 countries.

Despite the poor weather of the week, with two days without races due to lack of wind and a Friday with water activities canceled due to the orange alert caused by the DANA, the young international "iqfoilers" left Sa Ràpita with very good feelings. And the club has demonstrated its commitment to high-level competition and its ability to manage an event of this magnitude.

The Israelis dominated the under-17 racecourse, and Alba Klein and Itamar Levi won the title. In the under-19 female category, the British Darcey Shaw stood out from the rest of the fleet and won the world crown. Just like the Italian Federico Alan Pilloni, who was the under-19 male champion.