The ISAF Sailing World Cup is heading to Palma, Spain for the 2011 Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia MAPFRE, the third stop of the seven regatta series, from 3 - 9 April.
Over 650 entries have been received for the 42nd edition of the regatta with some of the world’s best Olympic event sailors making the journey to Spain to stake their claim for gold.
Although there was no women’s match racing at the first stop at Sail Melbourne, the Rolex Miami OCR offered some exceptional competition with 14 of the top 15 ranked teams in the world competing. Claire Leroy (FRA) defeated Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) 3-1 in the Final and she leads the Sailing World Cup standings as a result. In the Petit Final Sally Barkow (USA) overcame Britain’s Lucy Macgregor 2-1. All four will make the trip to Palma and with nine of the ISAF Sailing World Cups top ten women’s match racing sailors registered it should make for a fascinating week of competition.
Australia’s Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page are looking to continue their fine form in the men’s 470 after placing first at Sail Melbourne and finishing second at the Rolex Miami OCR to lead the 470 ISAF Sailing World Cup standings.
But with Nic Asher and Elliot Willis (GBR) and Stuart Mcnay and Graham Biehl (USA) also set to attend it should make for a fascinating week of racing.
The British pair beat the Australian duo - last year’s ISAF Sailing World Cup winners - by eight points in Miami and will be looking to replicate the result.
Belcher and Page, on 39 points, lead Mcnay and Biehl who have 34 points with Asher and Willis down in fifth on 20 points having only attended the Rolex Miami OCR.
In the women’s RS:X Jessica Crisp (AUS) currently leads the standings on 32 points. She is the only sailor in the top 20 to compete in Melbourne and Miami, placing fifth in both events. But she won’t be making the trip to Spain.
And with Marina Alabau on 20 points and Bryony Shaw, on 19 points, set to sail at Palma the top of the standings are bound to change. The field also includes 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Blanca Manchon (ESP) who placed ninth in Miami.
As with the women’s RS:X, Erik Storck and Trevor Moore (USA) are the only duo in the top 20 of the 49er ISAF Sailing World Cup standings to have competed at Sail Melbourne and the Rolex Miami OCR.
The American’s, on 34 points, lead John Pink and Richard Peacock (GBR) and Nico Delle - Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) who are both on 20 points.
The Austrian pair won Sail Melbourne with the British duo claiming the gold in Miami. The competition will continue to heat up in Palma as 70 entries to compete in the 49er have been received.
There is also some top international sailing talent in the Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Men’s RS:X, Star and women’s 470 ready to compete as the ISAF Sailing World Cup hits Europe.
The Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia regatta is in its 42nd year and is sponsored by MAPFRE and is organized by Club Nŕutic S’Arenal, Real Club Náutico de Palma, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Escuela de Vela Calanova and the Balearic and Spanish sailing federations. The institutional sponsors are the Govern de les Illes Balears, Palma City Council and the collaborators are Consejo Superior de Deportes, the Spanish Sports Federation for people with Physical disabilities, Ports de les Illes Balears, the Ministry of Environment, Baleares Ports Authority and Acciona.
(From the ISAF website: www.sailing.org
