Final countdown for the fourth race of the Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League

The Real Club Náutico de Palma co-organizes the fourth and penultimate event of the season this weekend, with eleven teams competing.

Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League arrives this weekend to the Real Club Náutico de Palma for the first time in its five editions. The waters of the bay of Palma will welcome eleven teams of women ready to give it all in the fourth and penultimate event of the season, aware that the fight for Spain’s champions Female Sailing title is closer than ever.

The ‘Solgreen’ of the Real Club Náutico de Valencia and the Club Náutico Arenal, the ‘Team RCNGC’ of the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria and the ‘RCNP Pollença’ of the Mallorcan club occupy the podium of Iberdrola’s League after the dates carried out in Getxo in March, Altea in April and Grand Canary in May.

The national circuit of female sailing arrives to its final test with very defined teams. Many of the participating crews took part at the end of July in the Women’s Cup of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE, and, also, the majority of sailors are active, so no one will arrive to Palma feeling rusty due to the summer’s pause.

Amongst the eleven participating crews, three Mallorcan teams will try to make their knowledge worthwhile in the regattas area of the bay of Palma. Women of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, led by Susana Bestard, should set sail with a certain advantage since they’re competing at home. The team of the Port Pollença, led by Pilar Casares, is secured by their third place in the provisional classification of Iberdrola’s League, while Club Náutico Arenal has chosen a young girls crew, that includes the current female 420 world champions, Neus Fernández and Martina Gomila. In addition, aboard the ‘Solgreen’ of Elena de Tomás, over three Mallorcans compete.

Lucía Busquets, member of the RCNP’s team, has explained that the crew is new, formed ad hoc for this event: “It’s the first regatta of many of this kind, so the main objective is learning. But we also have a lot of excitement coming and eagerness for competing against the most veteran to give emotion to the regatta. We compete at home, so we hope we can fight for a position on the podium. The fleet’s level is quite demanding, since many of the Copa del Rey repeat.”

The Blue Sail 24 monotype is the one that the Real Club Náutico de Palma lends for this fourth race. The teams, formed of five women, will be able to get familiar with the boat in tomorrow's journey, Friday, September 12th, reserved to trainings. 

The races will take place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of September. The league will be carried out in round robin format (everyone against each other) in which the teams will rotate aboard 6 ships. These regattas, of just 20 minutes long, will decide the six teams that will compete in the Medal Race, programmed for this Sunday at first hour of the afternoon and which will crown the winner Iberdrola’s League of Palma.

The Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League, which also serves as the Spanish Women’s Sailing Championship, is a circuit organized by the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the host clubs with the aim of promoting women’s sailing and providing a platform for improvement and development for female sailors.

Now in its fifth edition, the circuit is made up of five events held in different parts of the Spanish coastline and contested on one-design boats provided by the organizing clubs. After Getxo, Altea, Gran Canaria and Palma, the circuit will conclude with the Grand Final at the Calpe Yacht Club from October 10th to 12th.

This fourth event is 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.