Palma set to deliver classic Sofía finale

A moderate sea breeze is forecast to build early which, accompanied by warm Spring sunshine, should create a great arena as the regatta showcases the new formats which are expected to be used at the LA2028 Olympic regatta.

As the last chances to qualify for Saturday’s Finals Series played out, Good Friday afternoon on the Bay of Palma offered the best racing conditions so far, hopefully a foretaste of what’s ahead.

While the Kite and iQFOiL medals decider format are largely unchanged, it is still the top ten in each of the dinghy, skiff and multihull classes which go through to contest the Palma titles. But now there are scheduled to be two consecutive medal races with points from the Elimination Series carried forward.

There is a formula which now decides the winner of the historic Princesa Sofía Trophy itself. In recent years it has produced winners in 2023’s Formula Kite victors Max Maeder (SGP) and Breiana Whitehead (AUS) in 2024. Last year Olympic bronze medallist Emma Wilson (GBR), winner of the iQFOiL with a string of wins, took the giant trophy.

Back to zero

If the pattern continues then Holland’s Formula Kite World Champion Jessie Kampman might be favourite after 12 race wins. But she still needs to close out the class title from a winner-takes-all finale Saturday. Most of the week Lauriane Nolot (FRA) has played second fiddle to Kampman in the women’s Formula Kite. The French rider will go into tomorrow’s final level pegging with Kampman despite those dozen race wins to Nolot’s single win from today.

It’s a similar situation in the Men’s Formula Kite where Max Maeder overhauled Italy’s Ricardo Pianosi on the standings but the top two move directly to the four-rider medal series tomorrow and so the yellow bib is really only for bragging rights.

Champion Wearn poised

Australia’s double Olympic ILCA 7 champion Matt Wearn looks very like he might halt Micky Beckett’s run of Palma wins at four. After time out since winning in Marseille, Perth WA’s Wearn got back in the boat for the Antipodean summer and has worn the fleet leader’s yellow bib since the start.

Matchy matchy

Match racing broke out early, some might say prematurely, at the top of the ILCA 6 fleet where Ireland’s Eve McMahon and Daisy Collingridge (GBR) locked horns on the last race of the day resulting in discards for both.

American pair Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid lead the 49er fleet after a valuable recovery from an early start in second of the skiffs’ three races today. After having to return across the start line they battled to a 12th which they added to a race win and a fifth to lie just one point up on Germany’s Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger.

French duo Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin, the 2024 world champions and last year’s Sofía class winner missed the cut, finishing 13th with a 9,9,12 today while the Netherlands’ triple world champion Bart Lambriex and Floris Van De Werken squeeze in in 9th thanks to a fourth in the last race.

Swedes consistency continues

Training gains account for a strong, consistent run so far in the Nacra 17 by regatta leaders Emile Järudd and Hanna Jonsson who have overcome a flu virus to build an eight points lead over compatriots and training partners Ida Svensson and Marcus Dackhammer. 2024 Olympic silver medallists Mateo Majdalini and Eugenia Bosco had a collision before the start of the day’s first race which broke their boom. A replacement was brought from shore and the Argentinian pair – who train with both Swedish boats – have to count their DNC (did not compete) and so drop to fifth.

Spain’s top seeds in the 49er FX and the 470 Mixed have their titles within reach. Though just two points separates the top three teams in the Women’s Skiff, local favourites Paula Barcelo and Maria Cantero appeared confident as they spoke to Spanish media.

“The standings are very tight, especially from first to sixth place.” Barceló said, “So any possible points reduction under the new format won’t affect us. There will be two medal races instead of one, scoring single rather than double points. It’s the same format for everyone, so whoever adapts best will come out on top.”

Meantime in the 470 Mixed dinghy Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona have a little more breathing space – five points – over last year’s winners Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris (GBR), the European Champions.

Text and images courtesy of Trofeo Princesa Sofia. Read the full release here.