1 March 2023
With
still two months to go before The Offshore Race and 19th edition of
PalmaVela, held on the Bay of Palma, the list of registrations for
the regatta, including both the offshore and coastal races, has
already reached 90. Among them, a boat, not only legendary for its
long sporting history, but also a protagonist alongside actress
Nicole Kidman, and actors Sam Neill and Billy Zane, in the film
“Dead Calm.”“Stormvogel,” a Maxi built in the South African wine region of Stellenbosch in 1961, has a sporting history that dates back to the year of its construction, 1961, with numerous successes in legendary events in the United Kingdom such as the Fastnet, as well as the Sydney-Hobart and the Dinard. The boat was contracted by the Dutch Wood entrepreneur, Kees Bruynzeel Jr., well known for having invented marine plywood.
Three naval architects were involved in the design and construction of “Stormvogel”: Van de Stadt designed the hull and appendages, John Illingworth the sail plan and deck, and Laurent Giles the interior. From 27th April to 7th May, the Real Club Náutico de Palma will be its home, and as well as The Offshore Race and PalmaVela, will once again repeat its participation this season in the Rolex Fastnet and Les Voiles de St. Tropez.
Three Maxis and four Wallys join close to 90 registered boats for the two main events, The Offshore Race and the coastal races in PalmaVela. The involvement of the big boats, for whom it is their first major calendar event in the Mediterranean, adds a special color to the regatta.
“Once again we have referential teams and boats as ‘Magic Carpet 3’, ‘Galateia,’ ‘Bullitt’ and ‘S/Y Rose’ in the Wally Class fleet, and it makes us enormously proud to see for our work which began 20 years ago,” affirmed RCN de Palma’s sporting director, Manuel Fraga, who also wished to remind us that, “The Maxi class, with three participations will also be present at this 19th edition of the event.”
The ORC class for The Offshore Race, in the A2 division and their crews, has enlisted close to 25 teams, statistics which greatly motivate the regatta organization committee; having vouched for an offshore element in the event,
“It is truly satisfying to see how every year, the offshore race continues to gain support within the European calendar,” added Fraga, “with larger boats such as ‘Pelotari Project’, ‘Pink Gin Verde’ and the legendary ‘Stormvogel’ joining one of the most visual regattas in the Mediterranean.”
The deadline for registration is the 28th of March, although the Race Committee may admit further requests as per the requirements of the Notice of Race, published on 27thDecember 2022.
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