Sandberg PalmaVela kicks off tomorrow May 1 off Palma Bay. The maxi fleet ready to race for their Med debut

100 + teams representing 19 countries will gather in the Bay of Palma tomorrow May 1 for the first big multi-class event of the Med season: the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela. The impressive Maxis will be the first to take the stage, with racing scheduled to begin tomorrow at 13:00. 

Everything is ready at the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) for the second act of the 2025 Sandberg PalmaVela, the multi-class event that this year brings together over one hundred teams from 19 countries. Following the conclusion of  La Larga offshore race, the Bay of Palma is now preparing to welcome the largest boats with the debut of the Maxi class, featuring a fleet made up of two majestic Wallys, one Botin 65, one Mylius 60 FD, a Mills V68, and the brand-new Verdier 100 “Magic Carpet E”.

After a winter during which many teams take time to fine-tune their boats or race in the Caribbean, spring brings them back to the Mediterranean. For many, the Sandberg PalmaVela marks the first major regatta of the Mediterranean season.

"Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' Magic Carpet E is the most loyal of all — if possible, she never misses the event. And while we’d love to have more boats, we are definitely grateful to the IMA [International Maxi Association] for including us in their calendar, with both La Larga in the Maxi Offshore Challenge and the multi-class event in the Inshore series,” said Vivi Mainemare, RCNP’s sports coordinator.

The conditions offered by the Bay of Palma and the facilities at RCNP are also an added value: “The bay is a spectacular place for training and testing equipment. The teams also feel very comfortable at the club — they really appreciate the peace and convenience here, as well as the experience and professionalism of the staff”, Mainemare added.

In addition to the two teams that already competed in La Larga — Jean Pierre Barjon’s “Spirit of Lorina” and Robert Szustkowski’s “R6” — and Sir Lindsay Owen’s “Magic Carpet E”, the maxi fleet will also include Sven Wackerhagen’s “Rose”, Andrés Varela’s “Pelotari Project”, and the Wallycento “Tilakkhana II” from Gamageo Yachting.

In total, the Maxi fleet is scheduled to complete up to six races — two coastal and four windward-leeward — with the first warning signal set for 13:00 tomorrow, Thursday May 1.

The rest of the fleet, including the ORC division, A2, Spirit of Tradition, and the one-design classes 6 Metre and Dragon, will join the action on Saturday, bringing together more than one hundred boats competing in the Bay of Palma.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sandberg PalmaVela 2025: www.palmavela.com

Alejandro Varela

+34 609 800 218

alejandro@infosailing.net

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Helena Paz

+34 659 293 291

helena@infosailing.net

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Clara Giraldo

+34 661 346 534

clara@infosailing.net