The Palma-Melilla-Palma A2 regatta started today at 1 p.m. from the Bay of Palma with light winds and the hope that the situation will improve as the competition progresses. The fleet, made up of 33 Mini 6.50 class ships, The journey started towards Cabrera; After leaving this first step on the starboard side, it will head towards the island of Alborán, which should be on the port side, and from there it will continue towards Melilla without further mandatory checkpoints and with the restriction of not entering the territorial waters of Algeria.
The regatta, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Real Club Marítimo de Melilla, It has a distance of 1,000 miles and is eligible for the Mini Transat 2025 classification. The start took place in light wind conditions, but the wind is expected to increase in the coming hours, favoring rapid development of the first stage.
In recent days, the Real Club Náutico de Palma has carried out rigorous inspections to ensure that the boats meet the safety requirements of offshore racing. This morning, participants handed in their cell phones and From now on, they will only be able to communicate by radio. Use of the Internet and electronic maps is prohibited, although GPS navigation is permitted.
The Palma-Melilla-Palma A2 is the first 1,000-mile ocean regatta organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma in its 76-year history. Hugo Ramonoffshore sailor, member of the sailing club and promoter of the event, is also seeking to qualify for the Mini Transat, in which he has participated in three previous editions (2005, 2007 and 2009), aboard the Cristalmina Majorica, in the company of his partner Aleix Sellés.
Before leaving the moorings, Ramón emphasized that Palma-Melilla-Palma is “a dream” that began to haunt him more than 20 years ago, when he took his first laps in the Mini class: “I am very proud to see how the club where I learned to sail is hosting its first high altitude regatta. I see this inaugural edition as an opportunity to promote offshore navigation among young people and contribute to the development of the Mini 6.50 class in the Mediterranean.
The rest of the Spanish fleet is made up of four boats and the following sailors: Ramon Ribera, Juan Maria Adriozola (Amuitz Sames Company), Miguel Rondon, Marc Claramunt (Christine II), Joan Trenchs, Witolp Malecki (Pachamama), Thomas Ruiz And Carlos Manera, second place in the Mini Transat 2023 (Meerkat).
The Mini class boats, with a length of 6.5 meters, are designed for ocean navigation alone or with two crew members.
