Getting ready to race for the Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Monte Real Club de Yates in Baiona

by 52 Super Series 31 May 04:42 NZST 2-7 June 2025

Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Presentation © Antía Martínez / MRCY

Today (Friday) Galicia's prestigious Monte Real Club de Yates in Baiona (Galicia, Spain) hosted the official presentation of the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP, the second scoring event for the 2025 season of the 52 SUPER SERIES, which will be held in the waters of the Vigo estuary from 2 to 7 June. The Royal Cup is an historic perpetual sailing trophy which is held by the German team Platoon Aviation, who won the 2024 regatta held in Valencia.

The presentation ceremony for the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP marked the start of the 52 SUPER SERIES' second visit to Galicia. Once again, the event, a key stage on the globally recognized, leading Grand Prix monohull circuit in the world will be held at the Monte Real Club de Yates (MRCY) in Baiona, where the 2022 season opened with a success that José Luis Álvarez, president of the club, recalled today:

'When we brought the 2022 event to a close, the feedback we received made us feel that all the effort had been worthwhile. Because everyone left delighted with the club, with the event, with the Rías Baixas, with Galicia. And I am convinced that those who come to Galicia for the first time in 2025 will feel the same way. Because Galicia is not just a place to visit: Galicia is a place to experience, feel and remember. And I have no doubt that many of them will return when this is over'.

Álvarez represented the MRCY at the official presentation ceremony for the event, which was also attended by the club's vice-president, Alejandro Retolaza; the director of the Galician Tourism Agency, Xosé Manuel Merelles; the Vigo sailor from the Alkedo team, Pablo Torrado; the director of Portos de Galicia, Juan Sanmartín; and the Councillor for Maritime Activities of Baiona, Joaquín López.

A source of pride

The event will feature eleven teams from nine countries, crewed by more than 150 sailors from practically all over the world, 'from New Zealand to the United States, from Thailand to South Africa, from Japan to Portugal,' as Pablo Torrado, crew member of the Italian Alkedo, representing the fleet. Torrado and Víctor Mariño, top sailor on the German Platoon Aviation, are the two local heroes who are from Vigo among a spectacular cast of international professionals.

Torrado highlighted the importance of this visit on a personal level: 'As a Galician, and as someone from Vigo, I am proud to see the 52 SUPER SERIES here, but above all, it is a dream come true to compete aboard these spectacular TP52s in front of my people, in front of my home, in the place where I learned to sail. From the first time the 52 SUPER SERIES came to Galicia in 2022, all the teams were delighted with Baiona, with the hospitality of the Monte Real Yacht Club and, of course, with the cuisine. That year they came without really knowing what to expect, but since then they have never stopped talking about how surprised they were, and now they are returning knowing that they are going to enjoy themselves'.

On behalf of the Galician Tourism Agency, its director Xosé Manuel Merellesapplauded the MRCY's initiative to host the 52 SUPER SERIES: 'I would like to highlight the important work done by the Monte Real Club de Yates to attract such high-quality competitions. It is a luxury to be able to watch the 52 SUPER SERIES compete in Galicia and, at the same time, see the extra effort being made to expand and improve the club's facilities. Galicia is proud to host this event, which will showcase our community around the world.'

The Royal Cup, a coveted trophy

The Royal Cup is one of the most prestigious annual trophies in the TP52 class, and each season it rewarsaone of the events on the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit. Originally called the Royal Cup Challenge Trophy, it was donated in 1995 by King Harald of Norway, Pasquale Landolfi, Willi Illbruck and Yannis Costopoulos to be used as a perpetual trophy in the IMS50 regattas, which was then the world's highest-level rating class. The TP52 was the natural successor to the IMS50, and the first Royal Cup for the class was awarded in 2012. Harm Müller Spreer's Platoon is the current defender of the Royal Cup after winning the 2024 Valencia 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup.

New facilities

During the event, the MRCY presented the upgrade of its facilities, consisting of the construction of a new 145-metre jetty with 29 new moorings for boats from 12 to 16 metres in length and the creation of two new lines for large boats, as well as the additional 48-metre extension of an existing jetty to protect the new infrastructure from the waves. The new facilities reinforce the MRCY's position as one of the leading centres for sailing in the European Atlantic.

The GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP will be held from 2 to 7 June at the Monte Real Yacht Club in Baiona. Day 2 is reserved for the official training regatta, which does not count towards the overall score. From the 3rd to the 7th, up to ten races will be held, with no discards. The highest-ranked team will lift the Royal Cup at the awards ceremony on Saturday, 7 June.

The GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP will be broadcast live on the official website www.52superseries.com and on the 52 SUPER SERIES YouTube channel.

List of entries GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP: