Mallorca ready for 39th Princesa Sofia regatta

by Prensa Sofía - Neus Jordi on 8 Feb 2008
The 39th Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia-MAPFRE will probably be the edition with highest competition level in the history of this traditional Majorcan regatta. The organisation has invited the best 90 sailors in the world - the Athens Olympics medallists as well as last year's World and European champions of the eleven Olympic classes.

The regatta will be held in an Olympic year, from 15 to 21 March, under the organisation of Real Federación Española de Vela, Federación Balear de Vela, Real Club Náutico de Palma, Club Nàutic S'Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and Escuela de Vela Calanova.

It is the most participative and international Olympic classes event in Spain, in which every year over one thousand boats and around 1,700 competitors of twelve classes (eleven Olympic classes plus the Dragon as invited class) meet in the famous bay of Palma.

MAPFRE sponsors for third consecutive year this first class regatta which in this edition will be the focus of attention of the sailing world because it is an Olympic year.

The 39 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia - MAPFRE has launched a new website (www.trofeoprincesasofia.org), through which sailors can enter online and obtain all information on transport and accommodation. Important accommodation and ferry transport discount rates have been negotiated by the organisers of the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia-MAPFRE with Ultramar Express and Acciona Trasmediterránea, the event's official travel agent and ferry company. A total of 1,500 lineal metres were used last year on the ferries of Acciona Trasmediterránea to transport the participating boats to Palma. A figure that will be again exceeded in this edition, due to the increase in the number of competitors in this Olympic year.

For some countries the Majorcan event will count for the selection of the team that will represent them at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with sailing venue in the coastal city of Qingdao.

Races will start on Sunday 16 March for Olympic classes. Qualifying and final rounds have been scheduled with the Medal Race sailed on Friday 21 March, a race that scores double, cannot be discarded and has the participation of the ten top classified sailors, in accordance with the Olympic format. On the other hand, the Dragon class will start racing on Monday 17 to complete ten races throughout the week.

Besides the organisers already mentioned, the collaborators of the 39 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia-MAPFRE are the Govern de les Illes Balears, Palma and Llucmajor city councils, Consell de Mallorca, Port de Balears, Trasmediterránea Acciona, Toyota and Ultramar Express.

www.trofeoprincesasofia.org