Alex Pella includes the round Menorca sailing race as part of his training for the Desafío Victoria

The experienced sailor will travel to Mahón with his spectacular 33 meter long, 17 meter beam and 41 meter mast Maxicat Victoria to complete the challenge from the 13th to the 19th of May.

The identity of the first RE70 Menorca challenger is already known. Experienced sailor Alex Pella will be the first athlete to challenge the Menorca round Menorca yacht race with the goal of setting the fastest officially known time. Pella, who plans to challenge the record from the 13th to the 19th of May, has included the round Menorca challenge in his official preparation calendar for the 'Desafío Victoria', the great challenge to set a new round the world sailing record to the west, in a tribute to Juan Sebastián Elcano, which will take place in the winter of 2025.

From the 13th to the 19th of May, the port of Mahón will host the spectacular Maxicat Victoria with its 33 meters in length, 17 meters beam and 41 meters mast, in what will be the first stop in preparation for the 'Desafío Victoria', coinciding with the challenge launched by the Club Marítimo de Mahón, with the sponsorship of the Fundación Fomento del Turismo de Menorca and the support of the Mahón Town Council, in search of the fastest official time to sail around the island of Menorca, powered only by the force of the wind. 

Alex Pella's team is also finalizing an agenda of events to bring the challenge and the boat closer to the Club Marítimo de Mahón family, as well as to sailing enthusiasts. Pella and his team plan to complete the round the world challenge in 100 days, powered solely by the wind and currents, and with renewable energy. 

The Catalan, born in Barcelona in 1972, will be accompanied by Lalou Roucayrol, skipper of Maxicat Victoria and sailors Alejandro Cantero and Alberto Muñoz, and will attempt to beat the current record set by Jean Luc Van den Heede in 2004, who set the round the world time at 122 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds.

The calendar for the preparation of the 'Desafío Victoria' also includes the search for the record of the Tour of Spain in July and the record of the Route of the Discovery in autumn. In 2025, the refit, promotion and training will take place before the start of the Elcano Oceanic Trophy in winter, which hosts the challenge of the round the world sailing challenge to the west.