The Youth World Sailor of the Year, among more than 470 women competing for Princesa Sofía Mallorca
by Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía 8 Mar 00:25 PDT
27 March - 5 April 2026
Marta Cardona (ESP), Youth World Sailor of the Year 2025 © Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca
More than 470 of the best Olympic class sailing specialists will compete from 27 March to 4 April in the 55th edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels.
With registration still open, female participation accounts for 40% of registered participants, and women will make up 46% of a fleet that follows the Olympic Games' gender parity standards. The list includes Mallorca's Marta Cardona, the world's best young sailor of 2025.
The Paris 2024 cycle made history by incorporating gender parity in Olympic class sailing. For the first time, four of the disciplines designated by the IOC were female, four were male and two were mixed, ensuring that 50% of the medals awarded would hang around the necks of female sailors. From 27 March to 4 April, the bay of Palma will replicate this format in the 55th edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels, the first scoring event for the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam. The Bay of Palma will bring together the women's categories 49erFX, ILCA 6, iQFOiL Women and Formula Kite Women; the men's categories 49er, ILCA 7, iQFOiL Men and Formula Kite Men; and the mixed categories 470 Mixed and Nacra 17.
Women make up 46% of the fleet
With three weeks to go before the start of the competition, the provisional list of entries continues to grow. So far, 895 teams and 1,155 sailors from 59 countries have officially confirmed their intention to compete in the 55th edition of the Sofía. The list includes 471 women of 48 nationalities, 40.7% of the total number of participants, and there will be female crew members in 412 teams, 46% of the fleet. By category, there are 118 registered in 49erFX, 145 in ILCA 6, 72 in iQFOiL Women, 31 in Formula Kite Women, 61 in 470 Mixed and 43 in Nacra 17.
To find out more about the female presence at the Sofia, we spoke to Marta Cardona from Mallorca, who at the age of 20 was named Youth World Sailor of the Year 2025 by World Sailing.
An exceptional career
'She is not only a great sailor with an incredible career since she was a child, but above all she is an exceptional, generous and determined person.' This is how Cati Darder, president of the Balearic Sailing Federation (FBV), describes Marta Cardona. 'I am sure that her example will serve to show Balearic sailors that Marta's career is a path from which they can learn in order to achieve their goals.'
After becoming European and world champion in the 420 class with María Perelló, Cardona made her debut in the 470 Mixed alongside Jordi Xammar from Barcelona during the last edition of the Sofía in April 2025. By May, they were European champions; by June, world champions. They have only been together for a year, and they are already the team to beat. 'I had never sailed with a boy before, but the truth is that the experience is really great,' Marta admits. 'I think we can both contribute a lot, it's a very good combination, there is a lot of trust and the teamwork is very good.'
Despite her meteoric career so far, still only 20 years old, she explains that there is no magic other than hard work and enthusiasm: 'I have had a very normal career. I come from a club near my home, from a family with no sailing tradition... I have just been a girl with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of motivation, who has worked very hard and fought for her goals.'
And being a woman has not affected her career: 'Sailing is a very inclusive sport, and being a woman has not influenced me in any way. I am lucky to have grown up in a club (the CNA) that has always treated us all equally, from Optimist to 420 and now in Olympic sailing. And in mixed classes, men and women are also treated equally.'
She would like the title of Best Sailor in the World to serve as motivation for other girls: 'It was very important to me. I was very excited, but in the end nothing has changed, I am still the same, with the same goals and the same work. If that helps to be an inspiration to others, then I am proud; I hope it is.'
'To a girl who wants to start sailing, I would say not to be afraid, that sailing is a very fun sport and to take advantage of any opportunity to get out on the water. Above all, enjoy the sea and learn a lot, ask a lot of questions and don't compare yourself to anyone else. It's a sport that gives you things for life.'
Mallorca and the Sofia
At the 55th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels, Marta will be competing on home turf. The bay of Palma is where she learned to sail, and the 470 Mixed fleet will be based at her club. 'Being Mallorcan has been a privilege. I am very grateful to be from here, to be able to enjoy sailing at home and to have regattas like the Sofia.'
"From a very young age, I was crazy about going out to see the Sofia, whether it was on the Committee boat, on a motorboat... wherever. We went out to see our role models of the moment: Hannah Mills in the 470, or the Brazilians Kahena and Martina in the FX, Paula Barceló and Támara Echegoyen. Having this regatta at home and being able to see the big stars of sailing inspires future generations, it's a real source of pride." Now it's her turn to be one of those role models and inspire future generations of sailors.
And since we're talking about the future, how does Marta Cardona imagine hers? "I hope I can continue to live sailing to the fullest, enjoy it and continue to grow as a person. It's my passion. And I hope to have fulfilled my dreams, to have gone to a couple of Olympic Games, hopefully to have won a medal... I'd like to compete in the women's America's Cup, hopefully also to get on an F50... I don't know... Let's see where life takes us!"
For now, Cardona and Xammar are defending their European 470 Mixed championship title in Vilamoura (Portugal). From there, they will head straight to Mallorca to compete in their second Sofia Trophy as a team and continue to put in hours of preparation for their goal of Los Angeles 2028. These will be the first Games on Marta's list of dreams. Perhaps her first medal?
The 55th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels is organised by Bahía Activa (the foundation formed by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the Club Nàutic Arenal, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and the Balearic Sailing Federation) and is supported by World Sailing. The event is co-financed by the Balearic Islands Government's Sustainable Tourism Tax fund and sponsored by the Mallorca Responsible Tourism Foundation.
The 55th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels is part of the Sailing Grand Slam 2026 alongside the Semaine Olympique Française, Dutch Water Week, Kieler Woche and Long Beach & San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta.