World Cup Series: A vital Olympic season about to start in Palma

• First of two World Cup Series regattas in the 2023 season
• More than 1,300 sailors, 1,000 boats and boards, representing 67 nations
• For some competitors, Palma is a vital qualifier for Olympic selection
• Many Olympic Champions competing, including Santiago Lange, aged 61

Organised jointly by Club Nàutic S’Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and Real Club Náutico de Palma, the 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is widely recognised as one of the most professionally organised events on the Olympic sailing circuit.

Ferrán Muniesa, technical director of the 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar, described the importance of the final year before the Paris 2024 Games. “In this edition there is a lot of pressure, as it is well known that it is more difficult to get a selection place for a country than it is to participate in Paris 2024. This pressure is reflected in the numbers of the event, which for the first time will exceed 1,000 boats, with more than 1,300 sailors from 67 countries.”

Last year’s event was the first occasion that the new foiling classes took part in an Olympic event. With a year of experience behind them, the Formula Kite and iQFOiL windsurfing fleets are beginning to find their feet on the Olympic circuit, but the stakes are also getting higher. The 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar is the first important milestone of the spring and summer regattas, with the focus later in the year coming with the Olympic Test Event in Marseille, France, this July, swiftly followed by the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships at The Hague in the Netherlands this August.

Here’s a rundown of the 10 events set to be contested in Palma over the coming week:

Formula Kite

Formula Kite is a high-performance hydrofoiling class using regulated series registered production equipment to limit campaign costs. Capable of speeds up to 40 knots, the foiling kiteboarders will become the fastest athletes in the 122-year history of Olympic sailing. Capable of achieving more than four-times windspeed in as little as six knots of breeze, the kitefoilers will be racing closest to the shore in Palma. The Formula Kites decide the medals on the last day with their own ‘Medal Series’ which culminates in a thrilling four-rider final, with each race lasting just six or seven minutes.

Formula Kite Men

Last year’s world title was a showdown between Toni Vodišek (SLO) and Max Maeder (SGP), with the Slovenian edging out the 16-year-old Singaporean in Sardinia. Others to watch are the gold, silver and bronze medallists from last year’s event in Palma, respectively the 2021 World Champion Théo de Ramecourt (FRA), Benoit Gomez (FRA) and Connor Bainbridge (GBR).

Formula Kite Women

A year ago, Lauriane Nolot (FRA) took up the early lead in Palma before being edged out by Daniela Moroz (USA). This duel was the start of a fierce battle throughout 2022 between the French and American riders, and the coming week is bound to see a continuation of the rivalry. Moroz has won six world titles in Formula Kite but Nolot continues to get faster and if it’s windy the French rider will prove hard to beat. Waiting to pounce on any mistake by the two favourites are a whole host of internationals including a strong British squad, of whom the stand-out is Ellie Aldridge (GBR).

iQFOiL – Windsurfing on foils

iQFOiL is the new foiling windsurfing class that has been setting the world alight for the past year. Riders regularly hit speeds up to, and sometimes over, 30 knots. With a combination of course racing and slalom formats, the riders need to be multi-skilled. They also need to be mentally tough enough to withstand the winner-takes-all format that decides the medals on the final day.

iQFOiL Women

Hélène Noesmoen (FRA) dominated last year’s event, beating local favourite Pilar Lamadrid (ESP) into second overall in Palma. Alongside these two are plenty of other riders in the mix, including reigning world champion Marta Maggetti (ITA) and Emma Wilson (GBR). Israel’s windsurfing programme is strong in the men’s and women’s divisions, and it’s quite possible that Israeli riders could grab more than one place on the women’s podium. Former 470 sailor Shahar Tibi (ISR) has been making fast progress in the past year and has shown good early season form at other regattas.

iQFOiL Men

Last year’s winner, Andy Brown (GBR), will be in the mix although it’s another British rider, Sam Sills (GBR) who has been making the early running in other regattas during the first months of the season. The Netherlands squad continue to be strong, with last year’s bronze medallist Luc van Opzeeland (NED) one to watch among many NED riders. The French squad also runs deep with talent, the pick of the bunch being Nico Goyard (FRA). Other high-level talents include reigning world champion Sebastian Koerdel (GER) and Pawel Tarnowski, winner of the iQFOiL Games in Lanzarote in January.

NACRA 17 Mixed

All three Olympic medallists from Tokyo 2020 are among the line-up in the Nacra 17 foiling catamaran. Respectively the gold, silver and bronze medallists continue to make their mark at the front of the fleet: Ruggero Tita/Caterina Banti (ITA); John Gimson/Anna Burnet (GBR); Paul Kohlhoff/Alica Stuhlemmer (GER). The Italians in particular have mastered the new fully-foiling setup of the Nacra 17, and dominate the contest for the world title last year, a result that contributed to the duo being crowned Rolex World Sailors of the Year. There are plenty of other teams with a serious shot at the podium, notably the 2016 Olympic gold medallist Santi Lange (ARG), now sailing with Victoria Travascio, and the Rio silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS).

470 Mixed

Previously men and women competed in separate doublehanded 470 dinghy events. For Paris 2024, the men and women sail together in 470 Mixed, and it has been interesting to observe the changing dynamics in the boat park over the past year. Last year’s winners in Palma, Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman (ESP), were the most consistent performers at major regattas in 2022, taking silver medals at the World and European Championships. Winners of the Europeans, Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson (SWE), and winners of the world title, Luise Wanser and Philipp Autenrieth (GER), will be among the front runners. Double Olympic medallist Camille Lecointre (FRA) is looking very fast with former world champion Jeremie Mion on trapeze, and it will be interesting to see how the new American pairing of Olympic veterans, Stu McNay and Lara Dallman-Weiss (USA) fare against the more practised teams.

49er

Winners of the past two world championships, Bart Lambriex and Floris van der Werken (NED) have established themselves as the team to beat in the men’s 49er. However, the margins are tight, and pushing the Dutch hard will be the likes of local favourites Diego Botin and Florian Trittel (ESP), runners-up at last year’s world championships. James Peters and Fynn Sterritt’s (GBR) victory at the Lanzarote International Regatta in February suggest this British team are getting back to their best. The 2018 World Champions, Sime & Mihovil Fantela (CRO), are always up near the front, while Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn (NZL) are showing signs of being able to continue New Zealand’s proud record in the skiff class.

49erFX

As with the men, a Dutch duo have won the past two women’s world titles in the 49erFX skiff, Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED). Double Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) look as hungry as ever for success and are the most experienced pairing on the circuit. Tamara Echegoyen and Paula Barcelo (ESP) are past world champions, while up and coming teams include Freya Black and Saskia Tidey (GBR) and Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi (ITA). New Zealand’s former world champions and 2016 Olympic silver medallists are now split into separate boats. Alex Maloney (NZL) is now crewed by Olivia Hobbs, while Molly Meech is working the front of the boat for Jo Aleh who comes from an illustrious background in the 470 class where she won Olympic gold and silver medals in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

ILCA 6Sarah Douglas (CAN) was in a league of her own last year when she dominated the Trofeo Princesa Sofía. It could be a different story this year, however, with the return of two of the three Olympic medallists from Tokyo 2020. The reigning Olympic champion, Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN), won last year’s world title. After taking time out as a new mother in 2022, Marit Bouwmeester (NED) has put in the time on the water to get back to being close to her best, winning the recent European Championships in Italy by a comfortable margin. Runner-up in the Europeans, Vasileia Karachaliou (POR), is another one with the form to reach the podium in Palma.

ILCA 7

The Olympic champion from Tokyo, Matt Wearn (AUS), remains the man to beat, although there are plenty who believe they can do so. These include the Olympic silver medallist at the last two Games, Tonci Stipanovic (CRO), and his training partner Pavlos Kontides (CYP), double world champion and silver medallist from London 2012. The reigning world champion Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) is among many others with serious podium intent in this incredibly strong fleet, along with last year’s winner in Palma, Michael Beckett (GBR).