17 RIO 2016 MEDALISTS COMPETE IN THE 49th TROFEO PRINCESA SOFIA IBEROSTAR

One day after the registration closes, Sofía Iberostar has registered the participation of 891 boats, which means 1,213 sailors from 64 countries, an absolute record of the Olympic sailing event. Out of them, a total of 17 Rio 2016 Games medalists participate.

Two years before the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020, the Sofia Iberostar marks the start of the Olympic race for the classification, since this year the first places of Tokyo Games are put into play, in the Aarhus world championship. 

In 470 class Men’s, Australians Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan are emerging as the rivals to claim the first place thanks to their sporting performance in recent years. After winning the silver in Rio 2016, the team managed to maintain the level in the post-Olympic year and win gold in 2017 Worlds. In addition, the Australians already know what it is to reign in Mallorca and will seek to revalidate the first position of the Sofía Iberostar of two years ago. Hanna Mills (GBR) will also expected to be one of the most outstanding sailors in the water in the 470 Women’s class. Mills won the Olympic gold in Rio with Saskia Clark and now sails with Elidih Mcintyre, with whom she holds the title of runner-up in the world. In this same class, the Spanish team will present battle with three crews of great projection: Bàrbara Cornudella and Sara López; Silvia Mas and Patricia Cantero, bronze in the latest edition of Sofía Iberostar; and Sofía Toro and Ángela Pumariega, gold in London 2012 with Támara Echegoyen in the Elliott 6m class.

The first race is scheduled for Monday, April 2 at 11.00 and the competition will take place until Saturday 7, the day when the medal race and the prizes are scheduled for the 49th Princess Sofia Iberostar Trophy.

Among the 64 nations represented, four of them, Spain, Great Britain, Russia and the United States will have at least one team in each of the ten Olympic classes competing n Mallorca. Spain will have the largest fleet with 87 boats, followed by France, Germany, Great Britain and Italy.

Organised by Club Nàutic S’Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Balearic and Spanish sailing federations, the 49 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Iberostar is sponsored by Iberostar and the event collaborators are Trasmediterranea, Marine Pool and Europcar, besides the Balearic Islands Government through the Balearic Tourism Agency as well as Palma and Llucmajor city councils.

Source: Trofeo Princesa Sofía