From cruisers to Optimists: Palma bay hosts a historic day for sailing

Palma bay experienced a truly historic Saturday, August 30th, during the sixth and penultimate day of the 61st edition of the Gran Día de la Vela – Bufete Frau, a day marked by intense on-the-water activity and a wide variety of races bringing together sailors from multiple disciplines.

Despite the high waves and residual swell caused by southern winds over the past few days, the event showcased the full spirit of sailing, featuring the ORC cruiser class, vela latina, 420 and ILCA 4 fleets, and the much-anticipated Optimist “Team Racing” competition, which brought together the eight yacht clubs that had qualified during the preliminary rounds.

The day also featured a special guest: Paralympic swimmer and athlete Xavi Torres, who competed aboard the ‘Índigo’, skippered by Pedro Siquier. Together, they claimed victory in the cruiser race that traced a route across the bay from El Arenal to Cala Gamba, passing along the Llucmajor coastline. Meanwhile, closer to the CNA’s base, the rest of the classes carried out their respective races.

To successfully run such a broad program simultaneously, the Club Nàutic S’Arenal set up three separate racecourses and mobilized more than 70 staff members, ensuring both sporting excellence at sea and top-level support on shore for all participants.

For the class with the largest number of entries, the Optimist, the day shifted from the usual individual race format to the scheduled Optimist Team Racing Trophy. This format brought together the eight clubs that had qualified during the rounds on August 28th and 29th, competing in a Round Robin system: each team, made up of four sailors representing their club, faced off against every other team in a series of qualifying rounds. The best results advanced several clubs to the semifinals and finals, where excitement, strategy, and teamwork proved decisive.

After intense heats blending individual skill, collective tactics, and the importance of cooperation, Real Club Náutico de Palma clinched the overall victory, with Club Nàutic S’Arenal, as host, finishing second, and Club Náutico Mar Menor rounding out the podium in third place.

Complete results: https://www.grandiadelavela.com/es/default/races/race-resultsall