The Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in stunning Palma de Mallorca is arguably the largest - and most loved - Olympic classes regatta in the calendar. It also happens to be the 2023 season opener - and what a season this promises to be. Racing starts on Monday April 3 and runs until Saturday April 8.
There have been a few smaller regattas over the winter period, but this is the first biggie - and the who's who of Olympic sailing will be at it. More than 1,300 sailors from 67 countries are set to compete, including 73 British Sailing Team, British Sailing Squad and transition squad athletes.
With Paris 2024 a little over a year away the pressure is starting to mount. Each nation will be wanting to get one over on its rivals, while the athletes themselves will be looking to not only better their international competition but also stake a claim to the sole place in each of the ten classes for Paris 2024.
Palma Bay is known for its ability to chuck all sorts of weather at sailors, which always makes for an exciting week.
The British Sailing Team enjoyed a good amount of success at the 2022 regatta, so those athletes will naturally start this year's event with targets on their backs. Watch out for last year's gold medallists Micky Beckett (ILCA 7) and Andy Brown (iQFOiL), silver medallist Hannah Snellgrove (ILCA 6) and bronze medallists John Gimson and Anna Burnet (Nacra 17), Ellie Aldridge (Formula Kite) and Connor Bainbridge (Formula Kite).
If you want to track the progress of the Brits the best place to do so is with the British Sailing Team social media channels. Each day we will keep you posted on results, and feature the best photos the event has to offer.
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