CVPA paddlers stand out at the Canoeing Sant Sebastià Trophy in Palma

Palma’s Parc de la Mar was the scenery this Saturday, Janurary 17th, of the 40th canoeing Sant Sebastià Trophy, third qualifying race of the Consell de Mallorca Trophy and date that officially opened the 2026 competitive calendar.

The competition, held as part of the city’s patron saint festivities, brought together paddlers of all ages in an iconic setting, with La Seu Cathedral as a backdrop and under a grey sky that did nothing to diminish the spectacle of the day.

The standout club of the competition was Club de Vela Puerto Andratx, which delivered an outstanding performance by finishing first both in the overall club classification and in the medal table, with a total of 23 medals: 13 golds, 4 silvers and 6 bronzes. The results reflect the excellent level of the team across all categories, from under-8s and under-10s to cadets, juniors, under-23s and veterans, in men’s and women’s K1 events over distances ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 metres.

Among the most notable victories were those of Josep Joan Cifre (Under-23 K1 5,000 m), María Reus (Women’s Under-23), Sofía Schmidt (Infantil B), Alan Garrido and Oriol Alemany (Under-12s), as well as Guillermo Alemany in the veterans category. The youngest athletes also shone, with several podium finishes in the benjamin and pre-benjamin categories, highlighting the strength of the club’s youth development programme.

The awards ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Palma, who congratulated the athletes and highlighted the importance of canoeing within grassroots sport and the Sant Sebastià festive programme. An unbeatable start to the season for Club de Vela Puerto Andratx in such a demanding discipline as canoeing.