The 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princess Sofia is set to start today, Friday 29 March, with more than 800 boats and 1,100 sailors from 75 countries taking part in the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, Spain. The racing will run from April 1until April 6 and will feature Irish sailors aiming for the Paris,Olympic Games later in the summer
Representing Ireland in the ILCA 7 class will be Carlow’s Finn Lynch and Dublin’s Ewan McMahon ( re selected on the Irish Sailing Senior Squad) will be up against the top sailors in their class battling for a podium place and testing their skills ahead of the summer’s major regattas.
Recently crowned, Irish Sailor of the Year 2023, Eve McMahon, will represent Ireland in the ILCA 6 class. A quick turnaround from her 4th place at the U21 ILCA European Championships in Pollensa, Spain last week. She will be up against her training partner and current world champion Anne Marie Rindom from Denmark.
The Cork duo of Seáfra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan, who are still in the running for the Irish berth in the 49er class for the Paris 2024 games, will be the only Irish 49er attending this event. After spending their whole winter season training in Lanzarote with similar conditions to Palma this will be a good test regatta for the pair. This World Cup will not stand as a test event for the Irish Olympic boat selection.
The men and women’s Dinghy’s will have 10 races plus a medal race, while the Men’s Skiff will have 15 races plus a medal race.
Keep an eye on Irish Sailing channels for updates throughout the event!
