Hugo Ramón breaks the record for sailing solo around Mallorca

The ocean sailor from RCNP clocks a time of 19 hours, 51 minutes, and 29 seconds, beating the previous record by over five hours.

Hugo Ramón has set a new record for the solo circumnavigation of Mallorca by completing the course in 19 hours, 51 minutes, and 29 seconds, lowering the previous record—set at 25 hours and six minutes by Eduardo Horrach aboard Azuree in September 2020—by more than five hours.

The Mallorcan sailor took advantage of an optimal weather window, with shifting winds that allowed him to sail downwind for most of the route. The favorable conditions, combined with meticulous planning, were key to achieving a time that will be difficult to beat.

Ramón admitted that he initially approached the circumnavigation as part of his training for the 2025 Mini Transat, but the experience took on a different ambition: “It’s been incredible, I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m very proud to have achieved this record. Throughout the journey, I kept in mind the previous record holder, Eduardo Horrach, a very experienced and respected sailor, because without his benchmark, this challenge might not have made sense.”

Upon his arrival at port—where he was welcomed by the president of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, Rafael Gil, and a group of cruising yacht owners—the sailor reflected on the challenge, even though everything went according to plan: “Rounding an island like Mallorca is always complicated. I was at the helm most of the time and couldn’t use the autopilot,” he noted.

The most demanding stretch, as the weather models had predicted, was passing Formentor: “The wind transition took a bit longer than expected and barely allowed me to rest—I slept only 20 minutes. I also had some bow slams that gave me a few knocks, but overall everything went well and I stayed in high spirits.”

Ramón praised the setup deployed by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, which was responsible for organizing the safety protocol and land-based tracking from key points like Cabo Salinas, Capdepera, Formentor, Sóller, and Dragonera. “This club is unique—they always strive for excellence,” he emphasized. He also thanked Gabi Pérez, the meteorologist with whom he prepared for the attempt and mapped out different routes based on the available models.