Everything is ready so that this Thursday, September 22, the second edition of the Ibiza JoySail will start, starting at 11 in the morning, one of the last superyacht regattas of the Mediterranean season and which takes place in the waters of the Balearic Islands. The route between Palma and Ibiza, of 70 nautical miles, will open the competition in search of the record for the crossing between the two bays, the first boat to cross the finish line will mark the time for future editions.
The Ibiza JoySail offers a perfect combination for these exclusive boats, with a high altitude route and different coastal routes through the waters of Ibiza and Formentera.
A total of 13 superyachts will participate, ranging from 80 to 155 feet in length, with which the show is more than guaranteed, thus tripling the participation with respect to the first edition. The fleet has been at the STP Palma shipyard for several days, the meeting place and departure base for the Ibiza JoySail.
First for the fleet will be the 70-mile voyage from Palma Bay to Marina Ibiza which, weather permitting, will offer something a little different in superyacht sailing according to Ibiza JoySail Race Director Nacho Postigo: “In a perfect setting, we’ll have a long downwind race which will be a lot of fun and it’s not something you do very often in superyacht racing so it’s quite unique.”
Within the set of Ibiza JoySail tests, the long regatta will have its own prize, the Mallorca-Ibiza Perpetual Trophy, which will be awarded to the boats that have beaten a record time in their class between the lighthouses of Punta Cala Figuera in Mallorca and the island of Tagomago in Ibiza: “The Perpetual Trophy is like a race within a race,” says Postigo. ‘As a record, right now it is about to be made, so it could be set this year. We wanted it to appeal to very different boat owners, so we have created different record classes that for years to come will give all entrants something to look forward to.”
And I add: “I was talking to Matt Humphries, who is a tactician at All Smoke and sails the high seas, and when I told him about the record race, his eyes started to shine, and he’s got a nice boat to get.” . All Smoke is a very fast boat and the owner is passionate about competition, making him one of the clear contenders for it.
In any case, there are other cruisers with options like the Reichel/Pugh designed SW-RP90 who will go up against the Swan 80 Dark Horse, YD120 Bliss and defending race champion Moat 155.
With the fleet divided into various classes, we find other giants such as the 155′ Hyperion and the elegant 152′ Windrose of Amsterdam schooner, while the Oyster 825 Champagne Hippy, Warwick 95 Patea and Swan 80 Sapma may also have a chance.
Last, and far from last, the Y Yachts quartet of Miss Shell, Makai, Y Not and Bella II, full carbon boats will be eager to show off their pedigree of lighter, higher performance boats.
Upon arrival at Marina Ibiza, the fleet will have a welcome reception, as happened in the last edition, although on that occasion there was no record since the low wind conditions prevented the route from being completed on time.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism