21st Sandberg PalmaVela Day 2 - Ten new classes joined the action
by Alejandro Varela 3 May 09:35 NZST
30 April - 4 May 2025
21st Sandberg PalmaVela - ORC 3 class © María Muiña
Ten new classes joined the action on Day 2, bringing the total to 11 divisions for this edition. Three racecourses and over a hundred yachts filled the Bay of Palma, where light and unstable winds kept both the Race Committee and the fleet on their toes until the very end. With winds proving too light in fact three classes will actually have to wait until tomorrow to make their debut.
The Bay of Palma was a sea of sails today as the second day of the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela got under way. Following the Maxis' opening day alone on the renowned Bay on Thursday, Friday saw the addition of five ORC divisions, A2, 6 Metres, Spirit of Tradition, and Sportboats to the race programme.
With all 11 classes spread across three race areas, Sandberg PalmaVela once again demonstrated its inclusive and diverse appeal, bringing together both professional and amateur crews, and yachts ranging from giant 30-metre Maxis to the smallest boat in the fleet — the 6.40-metre Viper Team Balearia, helmed by Mallorca's own María Bover competing in ORC Sportboat.
Light and Shifty Winds Challenge the Fleet
Wind conditions were probably the defining factor of the day, with light and highly variable breezes making life difficult for both the fleet and the race committees. The unstable winds across nearly the entire bay forced several races to be abandoned mid way through and required repeated adjustments to the race areas.
Classes scheduled for coastal races — ORC 0, ORC 1, Spirit of Tradition, and A2 — managed to complete their courses in breeze ranging from five to seven knots. Meanwhile, the Maxis, ORC 2, and ORC 3 fleets finally completed a windward/leeward race late in the day. The 6 Metres, Sportboats, and ORC 4-5 fleets took to the water and even began racing, but their races were abandoned and they will need to wait until tomorrow to open their scoreboards.
Provisional leaders after Day 2 are:
Tilakkhana II (Maxi), Vudu (ORC 0), HM Hospitales-Hyatt (ORC 1), Windwhisper 44 (ORC 2), Falapouco (ORC 3), Smerit (ORC A2 0-3), Minimon (ORC A2 4-5), and Happy Forever (Spirit of Tradition).
Windward/Leeward Racing for Maxis, ORC 2 and ORC 3
The imposing Maxis attempted a race shortly after 13:00 but the wind died, leading to the race being abandoned. During the start sequence, a collision between Spirit of Lorina and Magic Carpet E resulted in both yachts retiring from the day's racing.
After several hours of waiting, at 16:30 the Race Committee managed to set a fair course. However, Magic Carpet E and Spirit of Lorina did not return to the racecourse and were instead meeting with the International Jury regarding the protest filed over the earlier incident.
Tilakkhana II, helmed by France's Pascale Decaux, took the win, while the German Rose Bullit (Wally 80) secured third overall in the Maxi fleet thanks to finishing second in the only race of the day.
Sharing the Charlie racecourse, ORC 2 and ORC 3 got their single race of the day under way after 17:00. Windwhisper 44, owned by Polish sailor Marcin Sutkowski and helmed by Joan Navarro, took victory in the largest class of the regatta, ORC 2.
In ORC 3, Falapouco from RCN Torrevieja leads the fleet after finishing 11 seconds ahead of Meerblick, a familiar name at PalmaVela skippered by Germany's Gabriele Pohlmann. Just three seconds behind came Wanderlust, helmed by Josep Pons, provisionally in third place.
Coastal Racing for ORC 0, ORC 1, A2, and the Spirit of Tradition Fleet
The elegant classics of the Spirit of Tradition class sailed a 17-nautical-mile coastal race around the bay. Happy Forever, owned by Germany's Christian Oldendorff, won both on the water and on corrected time, finishing more than six minutes ahead of Little Thila and nine ahead of Micanga, both representing RCNP.
ORC 0 and ORC 1 classes had longer coastal courses of 23 nautical miles. Vudu and HM Hospitales-Hyatt lead their respective divisions after the day's racing.
The A2 double-handed classes also completed a 20-nautical-mile coastal race, which started shortly after 13:30. In A2 0-3, Smerit, skippered by Tito Moure — already a PalmaVela winner — capitalised on their experience to take the day's victory. In A2 4-5, it took more than four hours to complete the course, with Minimon of Miquel Matas (RCNP) winning the day.
Racing resumes tomorrow at 12:00 local time.
Find out more at www.palmavela.com