Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre - Top world sailors head to Mallorca

by Daniel Smith, ISAF on 5 Feb 2014 The Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre will celebrate its 45th edition this year. The largest sailing event in Spain will be held in waters of the bay of Palma from 29th March to 5th April with the debut of a whole new Spanish pre-Olympic team, presented some weeks ago, on their way to Rio 2016.

The Princesa Sofia Mapfre is the fourth ISAF Sailing World Cup event following SWC Miami, US. It is already the starting point of the European sailing season and therefore the real starting gun on the way to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, following the post-Olympic break taken by some teams last year.

The Organisation expects to welcome in Mallorca the first week of April around 800 sailors from around fifty nations from all over the world. Many of them are arriving at the island already with the aim of training for some months in waters of the bay of Palma before the first major event of the year.

The 45 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre will be hosted by the same two venues as last year, Club Nàutic S’Arenal where classes Finn, 470 M and W, 49er, 49er FX and Paralympic events 2.4mR, Skud and Sonar will be based and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, venue for classes Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X M and W and Nacra 17).

Furthermore, the organisation will promote the Pabisa Beach Club -an exclusive leisure complex in Playa de Palma located half way between Club Nàutic S’Arenal and Can Pastilla- as the social venue of the event and meeting point for sailors and accompanying persons. All social events will be held there and it will be the place for sailing enthusiasts to follow the development of the races.

This year, the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre has reached an agreement with Trasmediterránea to offer all competitors in the event important discounts in ferry transport from Barcelona or Valencia to Palma and vice-versa.

Hotel group Pabisa, official collaborator of the Princesa Sofia Mapfre, has also prepared special rates for the over one thousand persons travelling to Mallorca for this regatta, such as competitors, technical staff, media and accompanying persons, a fact that year by year contributes to extending the tourism season in Event Website