Looking back at 2025: Balearic sailors deliver another historic season

In 2025, athletes from the Balearic Islands enjoyed an unforgettable year on both the international and national sailing stages, further consolidating the archipelago as one of the leading benchmarks in nautical sport. Their achievements, consistency, and competitive strength once again raised the profile of Balearic sailing across all disciplines.

Mixed 470

The season was marked by the outstanding performance of a new crew. Marta Cardona, from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, who officially teamed up with Jordi Xammar this season, delivered a campaign that will be hard to match in the Olympic Mixed 470 class. The duo began the year by dominating the Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta, a sign of what was to come. Their progress continued with a gold medal at the European Championship in Croatia and culminated in winning the World Championship title, an achievement that confirmed their place among the elite of international sailing. Their résumé was further enhanced with a silver medal at Kiel Week, one of the most prestigious events on the calendar.

Their results were matched by top-level recognition: the award for Best Pre-Olympic Team from the Monte Real Club de Yates at the 40th Príncipe de Asturias Trophy, World Sailing’s award for Best Young Female Sailor in the world, and their distinction at the Premis Esports IB 2025.

49er FX

Another major milestone of the year came from Paula Barceló, also from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, who once again claimed the world title in the 49er FX class, this time with her new crew, María Cantero, with whom she debuted this season. Barceló thus adds a second world championship to the one she won in 2020 alongside Támara Echegoyen, with whom she competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, finishing fourth and earning an Olympic diploma. It is worth highlighting that in her first world title Paula competed as crew, while this time she did so as skipper, an unprecedented double achievement in the class. After completing her Paris 2024 Olympic cycle, the Mallorcan sailor now begins a new chapter with her sights set on the Los Angeles 2028 Games, aiming to arrive as one of the most solid figures in Spanish Olympic sailing.

420

The Balearic youth pipeline also shone brightly in the 420 class. Sailors Neus Fernández Darder and Martina Gomila Darder, from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, were crowned Women’s World Champions, while their clubmate Amalia Coll and Laia Mattos, from Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, won the Under-17 Women’s World Championship title.

This exceptional level was confirmed at the 420 European Championship held in Matosinhos (Portugal), where the Spanish team, featuring strong Balearic representation, claimed four medals. Coll and Mattos were crowned Under-17 European Champions, while brothers Lucas and Nico Montoya, both from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, won silver in the overall men’s category. This success was complemented by the Women’s European silver medal for Fernández and Gomila, also from CNA, and the Women’s bronze medal for the duo formed by Nicola Sadler (Club Nàutic s’Arenal) and Susana Bestard (Real Club Náutico de Palma), completing an unforgettable championship for Balearic sailing.

ILCA

In the ILCA classes, the Balearic fleet once again demonstrated its top-level international projection. Mallorcan sailor Nikko Palou, from Real Club Náutico de Palma, was crowned Under-16 European Champion in ILCA 4, delivering a flawless performance, while his clubmate Mónica Osha secured the Under-16 Women’s silver medal.

The success streak did not end there. Tim Lubat and Gabriela Morell, also from RCNP, claimed victory at the ILCA 6 European Championship, reinforcing Balearic dominance in continental competitions.

Adding to this list of achievements was the Under-19 ILCA 7 World Championship silver medal won by Karol Krupski, from Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, once again positioning himself among the most promising talents on the international scene. The youth program also delivered an outstanding performance at the Under-21 European Championship, where Krupski secured the Under-19 European runner-up title, rounding off a remarkable international campaign.

Optimist

Balearic Optimist sailors also delivered strong performances on both national and international stages, confirming the excellent standard of sailing talent in the islands. This class, designed as an introduction to sailing from an early age, is widely regarded as the cornerstone of dinghy sailing, a small, technical, and manageable boat that serves as the starting point for many sailors who later progress to Olympic or professional categories.

Once again, the Balearic Islands rose to the top. Mallorcan sailor Lluc Bestard, from Real Club Náutico de Palma, was crowned European Champion, delivering an impeccable performance that confirms her status as one of the great emerging talents of Balearic sailing. At the same championship, the Spanish team, with a strong Balearic presence, won the team bronze medal. Furthermore, Spain successfully defended its Team World Championship title for the third consecutive year, a milestone in which the contribution of Balearic sailors was once again decisive.

Para Sailing

In adaptive sailing, the standard was equally outstanding. Violeta del Reino, from Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, was crowned World Championship runner-up in the Hansa class, reaffirming the strength of Balearic sailing across all disciplines. In the same class, CVPA sailors Pau Toni Homar and María Carmen García claimed the Spanish Cup title in the Hansa 303 Doubles class in Almería, confirming the Balearic Islands as an international reference point in adaptive sailing.

Snipe

These achievements were further complemented by the success of Jordi Triay, from Club Marítimo de Mahón, who claimed his third European Snipe Championship title after a spectacular final comeback in Portugal alongside his crew Lluís Mas in mid-September. Just one month later, Triay and Cristian Sánchez Barreto placed among the country’s best by securing third overall at the Spanish Snipe Cup held in Torrevieja.

J70

The season’s successes were rounded off with another triumph that once again highlighted the depth and quality of Balearic talent in keelboat and one-design sailing. Sailing under the burgee of Real Club Náutico de Palma, Menorcan sailor Joan Cardona, bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games in the Finn class, claimed his first international title as owner-driver in the J70 class aboard Yupi.

Cardona, who continues to expand his career beyond Olympic classes, delivered a highly consistent championship. Together with his crew, he remained firmly at the top of the fleet, setting a competitive pace that allowed him to secure four race wins across eleven races. An outstanding performance that confirms his ability to lead top-level sailing projects.

In summary, 2025 will be remembered as an extraordinary year for Balearic sailing, a season in which the combined efforts of clubs, athletes, and coaches propelled the archipelago to the very top. With a harvest of results that is difficult to match, the Balearic Islands consolidate their position as one of the world’s great driving forces in the sport of sailing.