31 crews representing 5 countries will compete in the European Championship of the Flying Fifteen International Class from October 7 - 10 hosted by the Club de Mar Mallorca.
Club de Mar Mallorca will host its first European Sailing Championship starting tomorrow with the Flying Fifteen International European Championship, which will bring together 31 crews from five countries in Palma Bay. The competition will take place over four days of racing between Wednesday, October 7, and Saturday, October 10.
The fleet will consist of representatives from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Brazil, and Australia, in an event that will feature some of the class's top names.
Among the participants is Briton Ian Cadwallader, the reigning European Champion, who will seek to defend the title he won in 2024 alongside Ian Pinnell in Morgat, France. Greg Wells another European Champion back in 2012 and 2014 joins the list of starters. Also on the starting line will be a list of past World, European and National Class Champions.
The sporting program includes eight races, two per day between Wednesday and Saturday. The first start is scheduled for 11:55 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7, and all races will be held in the waters of Palma Bay.
For Club de Mar-Mallorca, the championship also marks the club's debut as organiser of a European Championship, an event that, in the case of the Flying Fifteen category, is held every two years. The competition was presented this morning by the general manager of Club de Mar-Mallorca, José Luis Arrom, and the club's commodore, Manuel Nadal.
A classic of dinghy sailing
The Flying Fifteen International is a two-person keelboat designed by the British sailor Uffa Fox and first launched in 1949. Despite its 76-year history, the class has remained relevant thanks to the evolution of its designs and the incorporation of modern materials, such as carbon fibre, which have allowed it to maintain the characteristics of a boat conceived to offer performance and competitiveness.
Mallorca also boasts a well-established Flying Fifteen fleet, with several boats and crews based at the Reial Club Nàutic Port de Pollença, who will have the opportunity to compete against the international fleet in the waters off Palma.
The program will begin on Tuesday, October 6, with registration and the competitors' briefing, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Tramontana building at Club de Mar-Mallorca. That same evening, a welcome reception will be held on the club's panoramic terrace
The competition days will take place between October 7th and 10th, with social activities following the regattas during the first three days.
The championship will conclude on Saturday the 10th in the evening with the awards ceremony.
Club de Mar - Palma de Mallorca
photo credit: 2024 F15 Europeans in Morgat, France