The J Class Kicks Off the Palma Superyacht Cup with a Display of Elegance and Power

The Superyacht Cup Palma has begun in the Bay of Palma with the J Class yachts once again demonstrating what makes them so captivating at any regatta, offering a spectacle of elegance and power. Velsheda (39.5m), Svea (44m), and the refurbished Rainbow (39.89m) kicked off Europe’s longest-running superyacht regatta.

The J Race Day, a fascinating prologue to the full fleet races of the Superyacht Cup Palma, despite an atypically gray sky, saw Svea start with a victory in the first race after a brief delay when the breeze weakened.

Although Svea was the last to cross the starting line, trailing behind its usual training partner Velsheda and the newly refurbished Rainbow, which was making its first competitive appearance in several years, Svea broke away alone to the right of the racetrack. This decisive move set her on course to claim victory by a margin of six minutes over Rainbow.

The second race featured another outstanding performance from Svea with a second victory, this time by just a minute ahead of Rainbow, with the Swedish-flagged yacht establishing a strong lead and making clear its intention to repeat its 2022 class victory. Meanwhile, Velsheda, which claimed J Class honors last year and overall victory at SYC in 2018, will undoubtedly be determined to thwart that ambition starting Thursday.

“The shifts were more important than the pure speed of the boat, and as a strategist, I missed a couple of important shifts, so tomorrow we’re hoping for a bit more breeze for the coastal race, then a windward-leeward race day and another coastal race, so everything is still to play for,” said Grant Simmer, Velsheda’s strategist.

However, perhaps the most satisfied on the opening day was Rainbow with its two second-place finishes. Last seen at SYC in 2014, this was its first competitive outing in a long time, with a new, experienced owner eager to make a winning debut.

Following the regatta, a briefing session for captains was held at the Real Club Náutico de Palma, a long-time host and race management partner of SYC, with welcoming remarks from SYC Event Director Kate Branagh and double Olympic gold medalist sailor Shirley Robertson OBE, the newly appointed manager of SYRA, the Superyacht Racing Association. Yacht owners, captains, and crews were then invited to the Pendennis welcome cocktail on the RCNP terrace.