The BMComposites Trophy heats engines with 50 registered boats

The regatta of the OK Dinghy and Snipe classes brings together some of the best international specialists into a record edition of participants.

Real Club Náutico de Palma will host the fourth edition of the BMComposites Trophy on 14th and 15th of March, a regatta aimed at senior dinghy sailors that will bring together 50 boats, a record number for this competition. The event will feature 29 boats in the OK Dinghy class and 21 in the Snipe class.

The sporting level will be very high in both classes. In OK Dinghy, five-time world champion Nick Craig will race the first unit of this class built by BMC in Mallorca. Also taking part will be world number one Andy Davis.

Real Club Náutico de Palma has become Spain’s main OK Dinghy base, a single-handed boat with a long tradition in northern Europe that was introduced to Mallorca in 2020, during the pandemic, by boatbuilder Javier Estarellas and club member and sailor Luis Portella, who built his own boat during lockdown in the garage of his home.

Since then, the fleet has continued to grow. In November 2022, the Audax Marina Regatta hosted the club’s first OK Dinghy competition. The awarding of the European Championship to Real Club Náutico de Palma in October 2024 gave a decisive boost to the project of establishing the class in Spain and encouraged new sailors to join.

The BMComposites Trophy and its 29 OK Dinghy entries reflect that growth and the appeal of a boat well suited to the profile of senior sailors who wish to continue racing dinghies, whether as their main activity or alongside cruising.

“We are delighted with the regatta’s growing popularity. Now, in its fourth edition, we have the highest participation to date. BMComposites will also present our OK Dinghy prototype, designed by ourselves, which will be sailed by former world champion Nick Craig. I would like to thank the RCNP organisers, warmly welcome everyone, and hope we enjoy excellent conditions,” said Mark Branagh, Chief Executive Officer of BMComposites. You can find more info on their website: https://bmcomposites.com/.

In the Snipe class, which has a long tradition in Mallorca and Spain, participation has also increased notably. It has been years since a local regatta brought together 21 boats in this class. The upcoming Snipe World Championship, scheduled for September at Club Marítimo Mahón, is helping to energise the regional fleet and has sparked strong interest in competing during the build-up season. Among those competing in Palma this weekend will be three-time European champion Jordi Triay, national class legends such as Damián Borrás and Fernando Rita, and sailors with extensive international success in other classes, such as Mallorcan María Bover.