Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia Mapre - Success for Aussies Belcher and Page

by Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on 10 Apr 2012
On our way to winning race 9 and 10 - Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapre 2012 Victor Kovalenko
Sailors Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page experienced a successful re-introduction to the Europe season at the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia Mapre regatta. They share with us their experience in Palma, Spain:

The racing was some of the most difficult we have had in recent times. It was like Groundhog Day for the training week and first four days of the regatta we were in Palma. We had 5-7knts, very choppy wave conditions, 18 degrees temperature and sunny skies. These conditions have traditionally (indeed for most Aussies) been our weakest point of sailing. So it was great to be able to match the fleet and keep in the front part of the results after each day.

With these difficult conditions it was a game of attrition. Basically you just needed to not do anything stupid to keep yourself in the running...

Then day five arrived... We suddenly had 15knts combined with large waves. We were in our element! It had been such a long time since sailing in decent wind, that the 15knts felt like it was a gale. We handled it well and came away with 2x bullets. This suddenly threw some dominance over the results, and gave us a 14 point lead going into the final Medal race, and with the great strength of knowing our worst position would be a silver medal.


The Medal race day dawned and the wind just kept coming. The conditions were now even bigger waves and 20knts of wind. If the day before was a gale this felt like we were in Bass Strait (although neither of us have actually sailed in Bass Strait). Our medal race strategy was pretty simple, 'keep it upright and get around the course'. We did this without too much trouble and crossed the line in second, and won the regatta by 18 points.

One of the most exciting things for us was that our training partners Sam and Will AUS13, finished the regatta with a 10th place overall. With two days of racing to go, they were in third position and had the red jersey on. They had some bad luck in the medal race with their mainsail falling down with a breakage, but they battled on and finished just the same, showing some great fighting Aussie spirit. They have spent every day on the water with us over the last two years and supported each other in our development and improvement towards the event later in the year. They earned this great result through hard work, against all the best 470 sailors in the world.

Thanks for your support.
Malcolm and Mathew



Belcher and Page Blog

X-Yachts X4.3Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterZhik 2024 December

Related Articles

Seldén Rodkicker 50 - manual rigid vang
Specifically sized for yachts between 50 and 55 feet A Rodkicker rigid vang is designed to enhance sail handling during reefing and allows for greater sail trim control.
Posted today at 8:00 am
WASZP Games 2025: Talent & fun descend on Weymouth
Poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history The 2025 International WASZP Games, set to take place from July 19–25 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, are poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history.
Posted today at 7:23 am
Queensland Yachting Survey 2025 Feedback
The results are in, gathering valuable insights directly from the sailing community Following this year's Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, a group of passionate and experienced individuals from the sailing community gathered to discuss the current state of yachting in Queensland.
Posted today at 5:18 am
All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around.
Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing.
Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water.
Posted on 10 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects!
Posted on 10 Jul
America's Cup: Luna Rossa to sail for Naples club.
Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest the next America's Cup as the team of a Naples club. Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest its seventh America's Cup as the team of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples, as club that is new to the America's Cup.
Posted on 10 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 3
Big breeze in the morning, calm in the afternoon The third day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship kicked off early, with the first warning signal for the Blue fleet scheduled for 8:30 AM. Due to strong northerly winds, however, the fleet's departure was postponed to 9:00.
Posted on 10 Jul
Introducing the Micro Gateway from Cyclops Marine
Live load data, simplified - smaller, smarter, even more connected At Cyclops Marine, we're driven by the pursuit of precision, performance, and progress. As the marine industry continues to embrace digital transformation, our technology is evolving rapidly.
Posted on 10 Jul