The Event

Palmavela is organised by the Real Club Nautico de Palma and sponsored by the swiss firm Hublot, with the institutional support of the Balearic Government of Sports and Tourism as well as the Consell de Mallorca and the Port Authority, and the support of La Caixa and a great number of balearic firms, has now become one to the most important events in the national sailing calendar. This regatta born in 2004 with the aim to bring sailing closer to the public in general, has gathered all kind of keeled yachts, from the modern maxis to small lateen rigged boats, including TP 52, several one design classes or the beautifull classic and vintage yachts, amongst others.

PalmaVela started in 2004 as a Wally class regatta, the Maxi Race Week, which confirmed the city´s organising skills. The big boats were back in our bay after almost seven years of absence, so it was very important to do things well. Palma passed the exam with full marks as expressed by Tom Whidden, North Sails president, after participating in the event: "If this level is maintained, PalmaVela will be a great success". Palmavela?s prestige has been increasing over the past years and therefore the number and quality of the participating Maxi fleet. The most important units of the Wally boatyard have included the regatta in their annual calendar. Other "thoroughbred" Maxi units augur the event a great future. This was the case for legendary sailor legendary Neville Crichton, owner of Alfa Romeo, who thought the 2006 Hublot PalmaVela was "a great discovery".

The system in fashion in high level competition is also present in PalmaVela since 2006 when six units of the prestigious TP52 class participated. The secret of the boats sailing under the Box Rule rules is very simple: races in real time in which the first to cross the line is the winner, simplicity offering a great performance. The Notice of Race of the Hublot PalmaVela welcomes any boat competing in this system, whether a TP52, with over 20 units in the Mediterranean, or the new GP42 class, encouraged by the owners of the previous IMS high level circuit and with the explicit support of the Real Federación Española de Vela.

One of Palma Vela´s greatest ambitions is to make the Bay of Palma a racing area of reference for the numerous one design fleets of the world. From the small Melges 24, Platu 25, J80 or Dragon, to the Farr 40 or the Swan 45, the One Design fleets have a preferential place at Real Club Náutico de Palma. A good example is the selection of the Balear capital as venue of the Dragon Gold Cup a few days before the 2007 Hublot PalmaVela or the encouragement given to the Platu 25 over the past year in Mallorca.

The compensation formula created by the RFEV and the RANC brings together boats that participated before in IRC and IMS in a joint class measured with a simplified procedure that allows fair and easy scoring afloat. The RI was the great novelty in 2006 in which it joined the Hublot PalmaVela fleet. Nevertheless, the event is still open to other compensation systems.

The Spanish cruiser fleet has raced over ten years under the IMS compensation system. All events of the Spanish Cruiser Championship, including the Copa del Rey and the Princesa Sofia both organised by Real Club Náutico de Palma-, used exclusively this formula until the appearance of the TP52. PalmaVela started in 2004 with an IMS fleet mostly. From then and despite the changes experienced in the national fleet, it has maintained this class as an option for those owners wishing to participate in the regatta.

Although the introduction of the RN has meant the disappearance of the IRC system in Spain, the Hublot PalmaVela wishes to remain open to the foreign fleets that still compete under this system. The international, integrating vocation of PalmaVela is specially shown in the recovery of the IRC class. The objective is that any owner, with any certificate, whatever his/her way of understanding sailing, finds his place in the Bay of Palma.

An event such as PalmaVela, with the vocation of gathering together the best fleets of the world could not leave out the classic yachts. The possibility of organising an event for these impressive boats, human maritime heritage, is a challenge pursued for years by Real Club Náutico de Palma and which is now taken with great thrill. We are convinced that the great vessels -that compete in the Mediterranean international circuit- will join those based in Baleares to offer a unique sight in the Bay of Palma. April is, undoubtedly, an ideal time for this kind of boats. PalmaVela will be the first event of the Spanish Championship for Classic and traditional vessels.

The lateen rigged boats, as well as the classic yachts, have survived the push of modern times thanks to the enthusiasm and perseverance of an every day larger group of owners. The communities of Baleares, Catalonia and Valencia have an important fleet of botes and Llaúts rigged following the traditional way and that have been adapted to obtain the best racing results. They are small museum pieces that sail as if they had just left the boatyard. PalmaVela intends to offer an event that blends competition and culture and therefore wishes to count with the participation of boats of this class from all the Mediterranean area.

An event such as the Hublot PalmaVela, which is proud of being open to the different ways of understanding the sea and racing, must necessarily include a category of disabled sailing. The first experience was in 2006 and the result could not be more satisfactory. The Real Club N?utico de Palma has reached an agreement with the Obra Social de La Caixa to sponsor a Disabled sailing section, as well as to guarantee the participation of disabled athletes in the Hublot PalmaVela on board boats GOS 16, designed in Spain.