Sail Racing PalmaVela 2017 opens the international circuit for the Wally class

The 14th edition of Sail Racing PalmaVela (May 3 to 7) will gather a record fleet of 12 Wallys and will be the first scoring competition on the calendar for the Wally Class 2017 international circuit.

Sail Racing PalmaVela 2017 begins in exactly one week’s time, with an intense four-day competition. The fleet, as it stands today, is made up of 143 boats from 16 nationalities, and is divided into 11 classes.

The event, hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, will be the first one  "for big boats" in the Mediterranean, and it is also the first scoring competition for the 2017 Wally Class circuit. Since the very first edition opf the event in 2004, Mallorca has been hosting the "PalmaVela" for 11 times. 2017 marks also a new record for participants, with 12 Wally yachts from 6 different Countries - ranging from 78 to 107 feet in length (24 to 32.6 metres).

As explained by Manu Fraga, Sporting Director for the Real Club Náutico de Palma: “The presence of 12 Wallys really adds to the international flavour of the event, and guarantees the participation of the very best professionals, including olympic and round-the-world sailors among the crews. They are the biggest boats in the fleet, and demonstrate the real diversity of Sail Racing PalmaVela since it began in 2004”.

The best
The Wally fleet, which will begin competing next Thursday in the Bay of Palma, includes the very best of the class. Among those aspiring for the title, is the winner of Sail Racing PalmaVela 2016, the 75-foot (24.59 metres) J One; World Champion from the last two seasons, the Wally 107 (32.6 metres) Open Season owned by IMA President Thomas Bscher; and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’ Wally Cento (30.48 metres) Magic Carpet Cubed, the winner of the 2014 circuit.

The only participant sailing under a Spanish flag is the Wally 94 (28.5 metros) Alberto Palatchi’s Galma, which will be crewed by renowned sailors such as Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons, Pablo Iglesias, David Madrazo, Rubén Castells and Juan Luis Páez.

The Sail Racing PalmaVela 2017 Wally class programme will contain a maximum of six races, held from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th May. The first race start each day is programmed for 12:00h.

Following Sail Racing PalmaVela, the Wally Class 2017 circuit will take the fleet to Porto Cervo (Sardinia, Italy) to compete in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta (30th May to 3rd June) and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (3-9th September), before finishing in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (France, 30th September to 8th October).

Sail Racing PalmaVela will be held from 3rd to 7th May, and is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and Real Federacion Española de Vela (Spanish Sailing Federation), sponsored by Sail Racing, the Govern de les Illes Balears (Balearic Islands Government) and Ajuntament de Palma (Palma City Hall), and with collaboration from the Federación Balear de Vela (Balearic Islands Sailing Federation), Club Náutic S´Arenal and Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares (Balearic Islands Port Authority).

Media Contacts for Sail Racing Palmavela 2017:
(www.palmavela.com)

Alejandro Varela
+34 609 800 218
alejandro@infosailing.net

Javier Sobrino
+34 629 893 637
javier@infosailing.net

Helena Paz
+34 659 293 291
helena@infosailing.net

José Luis Miró
+34 606 444 861
jlmiro@rcnp.es