Forty historic vessels are ready to start the Illes Balears Clàssics

With just two days left until the start of the 29th edition of the Illes Balears Clàssics, the classic sailing event organized by Club de Mar-Mallorca has become the premier gathering of historic ships in the Balearic Islands.

The competition was presented this Monday, August 12, at noon in the Ajuntament de Palma, attended by Llorenç Bauzá, Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Environment, Sustainability, Natural Spaces, and Animal Welfare of the city council, José Luis Arrom, general director of Club de Mar-Mallorca, and Manuel Nadal, commodore of the entity.

The Illes Balears Clàssics begins this Wednesday, August 14, with a welcome to the crews. From Thursday to Sunday, four days of racing will take place, during which the Bay of Palma will showcase these jewels of naval construction, some of which are over a hundred years old. On Sunday afternoon, the trophy ceremony will mark the end of the competition, which for the first time has become one of the six races that are part of the select Mediterranean Champions Cup circuit.

Forty boats from eight nationalities have registered for this year's Illes Balears Clàssics. Four of them will attend Palma in the Presence mode, not competing in the races. For example, the Vim, built in 1939 for a member of the wealthy American Vanderbilt family, and La Balear, which celebrates its first century of life this year.

The remaining 36 boats will compete for victory each day in the Bay, with notable participants such as the British Comet and the Italian Ojalá II, last year's winners of the CIM Trophy (International Committee for the Mediterranean), the English Clarionet, which won the 2023 Illes Balears Clàssics on its first participation and the Clásicos Mare Nostrum Trophy, the Chaplin, one of the Italian Navy's sailboats, and the Spanish Calima, captained this year by Pachi Rivero, one of the leading sailors in the international sailing scene, who participates in the regatta with the flag of Club de Mar-Mallorca.

For the first time in its history, the Illes Balears Clàssics, which premieres sponsors thanks to Nautipaints Group and Mallorca Heritage, will feature four days of competition. An extra day of excitement that the organization has decided to add at the request of the same owners who want to enjoy one more day of racing in the magnificent setting that is the Bay of Palma. Another novelty this year brought by the Club de Mar-Mallorca race is the holding of a coastal race, longer than the usual buoy races in which the boats will have the opportunity to compete for victory over a longer course.

Manuel Nadal explained that the extension of an extra day of racing is motivated because "last year's participants expressed their idea that four days of trials were better, so we can hold a coastal race, weather permitting." The commodore of Club de Mar-Mallorca highlighted that the 40 boats that will be at the starting line represent the highest participation in the history of the regatta.

José Luis Arrom noted that "reaching the 29th edition of the Illes Balears Clàssics is an achievement and we are delighted to hold this regatta." The general director of Club de Mar-Mallorca recalled that the marina's renovation works are already completed, which allows better location of the boats, and thanked public institutions for their support of the competition.

The Illes Balears Clàssics also takes advantage of the celebration of the regatta to provide a social and environmental aspect to the event. On one hand, the club's facilities will host the photographic exhibition Second Chances during these days, showcasing the work carried out by the Palma Aquarium Foundation in the rescue and recovery of injured or sick sea turtles. The exhibition covers the entire process, from the notification of the animal's discovery to its veterinary examination, treatment, and subsequent release back into the sea.

On the other hand, traditional Balearic maritime heritage will be the focus in the exhibition of naval models from the Taller de Mestres d’Aixa of the Consell de Mallorca. There will also be a place for classic cars, as attendees of the regatta can enjoy, in addition to the historic sailboats participating in the Illes Balears Clàssics, a display of road jewels on the club's own pontoons.