More than 300 international sailors will compete in the 72nd Trofeo Ciutat de Palma Sailing Trophy

The 72nd Ciutat de Palma Sailing Trophy set sail today in the Plenary Hall of the Palma Town Hall, where it was officially presented by the second deputy mayor of the city, Lourdes Roca, and the commodore of the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), Jorge Forteza. Both highlighted its importance in terms of heritage and sport, as well as its "international dimension".

The competition, which will begin on Thursday the 7th of December, will be attended by 347 boats and will consist of four days. Tomorrow, Wednesday 6 December, the registration of participants and the coaches' meeting will take place. The Bay of Palma will be transformed into the setting for one of the most important and long-established children's sailing regattas in Europe. The participants represent 17 countries: Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Holland, England, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Germany, Finland, the United States, Denmark, France and Spain. The national fleet is made up of athletes from the autonomous communities of Galicia, Cantabria, Basque Country, Andalusia, Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

The Trofeo Ciutat de Palma is the oldest regatta of the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the oldest event in Balearic sport. Its first edition dates back to 1950 (two years after the inauguration of the club) and since then it has only missed its appointment in 2020, due to the restrictions of the pandemic. In its origins it was a competition for the Snipe class, the boat that helped to popularize dinghy sailing in Spain. A little over two decades ago, however, the Ciutat de Palma incorporated new youth and children's categories in order to adapt to the new times, transforming itself into an event of international dimension.

Since last year's edition, the Ciutat de Palma Trophy has been exclusive to the Optimist class, the most popular entry level boat in the world and a breeding ground for champions.

One of the important novelties of the last few years is the incorporation of a final phase, a format similar to that of the Copa del Rey de Vela, whose purpose is to make the competition more exciting, keeping the uncertainty about the winner until the very last moment.

The sport of sailing depends on the wind, so it is not possible to know a priori how many races the Trofeo Ciutat de Palma will consist of. The maximum number of races has been set at 12 over four days. The worst result will be discarded after the fifth race.

The RCNP and the Palma City Council have programmed guided tours of the historic center of Palma and outings to the sea to attend the competition, as well as other recreational activities for the sailors and their parents and family members.