‘Balearia’ claims victory in the fourth round of the Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League

The new crew of ‘Balearia’, representing the Real Club Náutico de Palma, makes its debut in the national women’s sailing circuit with a solid triumph.

‘Balearia’ emerged as the winner of the Palma stage of the Iberdrola League, after three thrilling Medal Races held yesterday, September 14th, featuring the top teams of this fourth event of the national women’s sailing circuit, jointly organized by the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the host club, the Real Club Náutico de Palma. The local team imposed itself with authority despite debuting as a crew, confirming the Iberdrola League as an excellent platform to promote female talent.

The Bay of Palma once again delivered, allowing for five round-robin races in the morning among the eleven participating teams. This classification determined the six teams advancing to the Medal Series, which for the first time in the Iberdrola League featured three races instead of the traditional single final showdown.

‘Balearia’ from RCN Palma advanced as leader, with a five-point cushion over its closest pursuers, ‘Solgreen’ from RCN Valencia and CN Arenal, and the CN Vilanova team, tied on points. The crews from RCN Gran Canaria, CN Arenal, and RCMA – RSC completed the group of six qualified teams.

The three Medal Races, with double points and no discards, showcased fierce battles among the six teams, highlighting their competitiveness.

With a fourth and two second-place finishes in these decisive races, ‘Balearia’ managed to maintain its lead and secure the trophy as the winner of the Palma stage of the Iberdrola League. The Palma-based crew was composed of Susana Bestard, Lucía Busquets, Irene Pérez Fontan, Gina Golantonio, and Teresa Bestard, a group of friends who were sailing together for the first time in the Iberdrola League.

“We feel very happy, very pleased with this result. It’s our first event in the Iberdrola League, and it was at home. We enjoyed the regattas to the fullest and hope to compete in upcoming rounds of the circuit,” said Irene Pérez Fontan on behalf of ‘Balearia’.

The silver medal of the Palma event went to ‘Solgreen’, skippered by Elena de Tomás, a team representing both RCN Valencia and CN Arenal, and until now the leader of the Iberdrola League.

The CN Arenal crew, featuring the reigning women’s 420 world champions Neus Fernández and Martina Gomila, climbed two places in the standings to claim third place on the podium.

As a debut host club in the Iberdrola League, the Real Club Náutico de Palma delivered an excellent fourth event of this fifth edition of the women’s sailing circuit, drawing on its experience from the Women’s Cup of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE and using the same one-design Blue Sail 24 boats, with five women per crew.

The fifth Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League will conclude from October 10th to 12th with the Grand Final in Calpe (Alicante), co-organized with the Calpe Yacht Club. This time, the regatta will span three days instead of the usual two, offering a longer format for the season’s final showdown, which will decide the 2025 Spanish Women’s Sailing Champions.

As the Iberdrola League doubles as the Spanish Women’s Sailing Championship, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation aims to promote women’s sailing and provide a platform for improvement and development for female sailors. This fifth edition comprises five events: those already held in Getxo (March), Altea (April), and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (May), along with the just-concluded Palma event, and the upcoming Grand Final in Calpe.

The Palma stage of the Iberdrola League was jointly organized by the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the Real Club Náutico de Palma, with the sponsorship of Iberdrola and the Universo Mujer program of the Spanish Higher Sports Council.

You can follow all the latest news from the Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League at https://velafemenina.es/.