The Proving Ground
by Mark Jardine 1 Apr 23:30 AEDT
28 March - 5 April 2025
iQFOiL fleet sailing in front of the iconic Palma Cathedral - 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 1 © Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca
The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future.
After a quiet winter post Paris 2024, the first of the big events of 2025 is the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS. Palma is alive with new teams and exciting young sailors who are setting their sights on Olympic glory. Campaigns are long, arduous, and will go through many highs and lows in the next four years, but this is where we will first see the new talent take on the established sailors. Unfamiliar names will emerge on the leaderboards who become the 'ones to watch' and national team managers will see who can take the next steps from promising talent to medal potential.
All ten Olympic classes are competing, with a staggering 174 entries in the Men's ILCA 7 class, 111 in the Men's iQFOiL, 92 in the 49er, and 52 in the Men's Formula Kite.
The 49er class has proved to be an excellent proving ground for SailGP, and the Paris 2024 gold medallists Diego Botín and Florian Trittel will be absent due to their duties with the Spanish SailGP Team. This will give partnerships such as Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove the chance to get a head start on the campaign trail after the disappointment of just missing out on a medal in Marseille despite holding a top three position for much of the event. Also Poland's Dominik Buksak, who finished fifth in Marseille and can begin to cement his partnership with new crew Adam Glogowski. Momentum builds confidence, making winning a habit so strong that a result here can propel teams on to great things.
In the Men's iQFOiL Israel's Tom Reuveny, Australia's Grae Morris and The Netherlands' Luuc Van Opzeeland are all competing, but it will be interesting to see what difference the new smaller sail will make. Will lighter sailors come to the fore or will power still prove king?
In the Women's iQFOiL Emma Wilson came away from Marseille feeling rightfully bitter about how the winner-takes-all final race denied her gold, but with the format changed she has come back to racing with renewed vigour. All eyes will be on her as she aims for that elusive gold in just over three years' time.
The Formula Kite has also seen an equipment change to smaller kites, and with four of the top five from Marseille competing - namely Austria's Valentin Bontus, Singapore's Maximilian Maeder, Italy's Riccardo Pianosi and Germany's Jannis Maus - we will see if some of the smaller sailors will come through to shine at the top.
Ellie Aldridge has topped the podium in the women's kite class, but the smaller wings could actually favour her, as her natural weight is lighter than how she sailed at Paris 2024. After a late summer involved with the Athena Pathway Women's America's Cup team she could be unstoppable.
The Men's ILCA 7 class has always been extraordinarily competitive, and while Australia's gold medallist Matty Wearn is taking time out from the class, the silver medallist Pavlos Kontides from Cyprus, Peru's bronze medallist Stefano Peschiera and fourth placed Hungarian Jonatan Vadnai will all be competing in Palma. No one can afford to rest on their laurels in the ILCA classes with a conveyor belt of young sailors chomping at the bit to become their nation's representative at Los Angeles 2028.
Scandinavian countries have been exceptionally strong in the Women's ILCA 6 class, and Norway's Line Flem Høst will be looking to improve on her bronze at Paris 2024. A win in Palma will make for a great start to her latest campaign.
The Mixed 470 will be the first chance for Jordi Xammar to start to recover after a disappointing Paris 2024, mostly due to a terrible medal race. He has teamed up with new crew Marta Cardona and will be looking for a strong start to make a statement to the rest of the world.
In the Mixed Multihull Nacra 17 class John Gimson and Anna Burnet came within a whisker of gaining a medal for Great Britain in Marseille, and the now married couple will be looking to start their Los Angeles 2028 campaign on the front foot.
The Bay of Palma is one of the great sailing venues in the world: easily accessible for many nations with its European location, blessed with stable breeze for much of the year, all combined with Mediterranean temperatures.
Facilities in Palma are world class, with many marine industry companies having bases on site. It's no surprise that Mallorca is used as a training base for so many teams, including America's Cup, superyacht, ORC, as well as Olympic sailors, throughout the year. A breakage can be fixed and sorted quickly in Palma, maximising time on the water.
The 54th Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels is a truly collaborative effort, jointly organised by the Club Nàutic S'Arenal, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the Real Federación Española de Vela and the Federación Balear de Vela.
The event is supported by World Sailing and co-financed by the Govern de les Illes Balears' Sustainable Tourism Tax fund, recognising the tourism boost that sailing brings to the region.
Over 850 boats from 55 nations are competing, traveling from around the globe, with over 2,500 people in total involved in the event. The organisational challenge is immense, but runs like clockwork on the multiple course areas.
This year the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels is also the opening event of the inaugural 'Sailing Grand Slam' 2025, combining with the Semaine Olympique Française, Dutch Water Week, Kieler Woche and Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta to bring focus to the major events in the calendar.
More information at www.trofeoprincesasofia.org