From 27 to 30 September, Ibiza will be playing host to fifteen spectacular superyachts showcasing sails and style in Balearic waters. Ibiza JoySail is a top-flight yachting event that will feature cutting-edge designs, luxury materials, décor trends, fashion, and state-of-the-art technology. A dazzling parade out at sea.
This third edition of Ibiza JoySail, which closes the Mediterranean superyacht season, will welcome a select fifteen-strong group of spectacular yachts, more than ever before. This exclusive invitation-only regatta will feature two J Class in a special guest class, as well as the traditional superyachts.
The race sets off from STP Shipyard Palma, the largest refit yard in Europe for superyachts (up to 120 m LOA) where more than 600 companies and 1,500+ employees work on yacht exteriors and interiors. The fleet will then arrive at Marina Ibiza, where the perfect combo will be on offer: racing out at sea and fun back on land with activities at Ibiza’s most iconic venues. A truly successful pairing that has made its mark in just two editions.
Exclusive visitors to STP Shipyard Palma
Zen, owned by the founder of Alibaba, and the iconic Maltese Falcon, owned by IKOS hedge fund manager Elena Ambrosiadou, have stopped by STP for repairs. Maltese Falcon is one of the largest and most luxurious sailing yachts in the world. The 88-metre boat sports three decks connected to each other by a spiral staircase. She can accommodate eight guests and twelve crew and her interior architecture was designed by Ken Freivokh, a renowned British architect. There are VIP staterooms, terraces, salons, dining rooms… and even a huge outdoor cinema projected on the lower sail for enjoying movies while underway.
THE CHIC PARTICIPANTS
The fleet will be divided into four categories: World Cruising, Performance Cruising, Performance, and J Class.
Things you didn’t know about the fleet
World Cruising
Scorpione of London (Baltic 151) is a custom yacht whose first name was Pink Gin, launched in 2006. During her time as Pink Gin, she won the New Zealand Millennium Cup, among others, in her debut season. This yacht boasts a large rudder with direct cable steering, a lifting keel, and she flies 1,891 square metres of sail downwind.
Aurelius (Dystra 111) is a Dykstra-designed modern classic who is the result of the work of the owner himself and his business partner, who set up their own shipyard to build his vision. She will be making her debut in the race.
Alarife Cien (Custom 99) is a one-off sloop built in Tarragona to a design by German Frers. She’s one of the more well-travelled competitors, having sailed to New Zealand and rounded Cape Horn in her lifetime.
Performance
Moat (Swan 115) is an Ibiza JoySail veteran now, having notched up two back-to-back wins. Her design is optimised for downwind performance and is the result of a partnership between Nautor Swan and German Frers. She was born into a racing dynasty as the fifteenth Highland Fling.
Jasi (Swan 115) was tailored specifically with racing in mind, boasting a specially designed hull, deck, sailing systems, mast, and keel. She features cordless technology to make the sails easier to handle. Her original name was Odin.
Kiboko Tres (SW 105) is a Southern Wind delivered in 2018 and optimised for the Mediterranean superyacht circuit with a larger sail plan and twin rudders.
Aragon (SW 94) is another Southern Wind yacht, having been delivered in 2013 as Windfall. Having won several regattas in her lifetime, she was the second of three SW94 models designed by Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design and features a carbon mast, rigging and boom.
Allsmoke (SW RP 90), second-placed in the 2022 Ibiza JoySail, is another custom Southern Wind sailboat with a single rudder, detachable bowsprit, lifting keel, and a generous 469 m2 sail plan.
Performance Cruising
Prevail (Tripp 90) is a YYachts sailboat built entirely of carbon fibre and features a roll-up mast with hydraulic boom and self-tacking jib.
Dark Horse (Swan 80) has been faithful to Ibiza JoySail since its inception. In last year’s race she finished third, winning the Corinthian prize for non-professional skippers.
Why Not (Y8 80), built in France in 1993, is 24.26 metres long. She’s the only Maxi 78 model and was penned by Farr Yacht Design. Her top speed is 10.5 knots.
Shambho (Y7 70) is a cutting-edge YYachts creation. Built in carbon, this 22-metre-long yacht weighs just 29 tons and has a sail plan of 300 m2.
J Class
Svea. Fresh from a win in Porto Cervo, this yacht was built by Vitters and originally designed by Tore Holm and Hoek Design Naval Architects. The 43.6-metre beauty has a carbon fibre mainmast of 53.75 metres and is famous for her lightness, displacing just 182 tons.
Topaz. Built by Holland Jachtbouw, Topaz is the smaller of the Js competing this year, specifically one metre shorter than the 42.6-metre Svea. She’s based on a 1938 design revisited by Andre Hoek. Her hull design features a reduced wetted surface and higher keel aspect ratio, making her quick on the waves.
IBIZA JOYSAIL, racing and enjoyment in a truly unique setting
A superyacht regatta like Ibiza JoySail is a feast for the eyes. Not just because of the size of these yachts (+24 m), the beauty of their sails, and the sound of the sea and the breeze, but also because every last detail is taken care of.
SEA AND SHORESIDE PLANS
Ibiza JoySail is a heady mix of a crossing from Palma to Ibiza with nearshore racing off the coast of Ibiza and Formentera. But the enjoyment doesn’t end when the participants get ashore. There’s also a packed entertainment and social programme for friends, participants and partners, with events held at iconic venues on the island and at the sumptuously exclusive Marina Ibiza.
SUSTAINABILITY
The sustainable commitment of Marina Ibiza and STP Shipyard Palma is reflected by their responsible environmental practices, promoting conventional sailing instead of motor while also protecting the Balearic ecosystem.
SPECTACULAR SETTING
Marina Ibiza is much more than a marina. It’s also home to high-end boutiques such as Bulgari, Fendi, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Dolce Gabbana and Bottega Veneta, luxurious restaurants and venues such as Lio Cabaret, Roto, Club, Calma, Cappuccino and Filin, and some wonderfully exclusive berths. Did you know that the fashion houses here have created capsule collections that are sold only in Ibiza? Commanding spectacular views, Marina Ibiza is definitely the place to be, welcoming more than 500,000 people per year and over 1,500 yachts each season, some measuring up to 100 metres.
ONBOARD STYLE
The exclusive North Sails brand designs ultra-lightweight garments that are extremely resistant to water and wind, making them the perfect gear for racing. With vast experience in nautical fabrics, their designs with classic Italian-inspired cuts and American production are a huge hit among the yachting crowd. For this year’s Ibiza JoySail, the firm has designed apparel with modern lines, inspired by the logo of the regatta. The back of all the North Sails jackets this year portray the skyline of Dalt Vila, the oldest part of Ibiza Town, in a clear tribute to this fantastic island.
The history of Lowell North
North Sails was founded in 1957 by Lowell North, an American sailor who was a gold medallist at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. Lowell, an aerospace engineer by profession, decided to give everything up to launch a small sail company in a San Diego loft. Convinced that he could improve what was already on the market, one day in 1957 while seated at the bar of San Diego Yacht Club he asked his friend John Shoemaker: “If I started a sailmaking company, would you buy a sail from me?” The answer was key to the creation of North Sails: “Yes, I would”. The new company would soon become a firm benchmark in the market. Today, the clothing brand North Sail is the fashion line of North Technology Group, an American firm that owns companies related to the yachting industry.
WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Marina Ibiza stands right across from Dalt Vila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This maze-like neighbourhood of lime and stone, in the heart of a Renaissance fortress, is the historic quarter of Ibiza Town. The walled Dalt Vila, visible from land and sea, is home to architectural treasures such as the castle, the town hall, and outstanding churches and museums. One evening during the regatta, with Dalt Vila as a backdrop, we’ll remember pirate stories with a party in homage to these intrepid seafarers.
A tale of pirates
Ibiza, a strategic trading island in the Mediterranean, was historically one of the sites most attacked by pirates, to the point that Ibizans had to protect themselves using churches as fortresses.
In the fifteenth century, Turkish and Algerian pirates razed villages and captured boats. The people of Ibiza, fed up with so many attacks and casualties, ended up giving the enemy a taste of their own medicine. Financed by local businessmen, they also blitzed enemy boats that arrived to plunder the island.
The Ibizans, who had spent their entire lives at sea, sailed under a letter of marque and reprisal, which was a licence granted by the Spanish Crown that gave them the right to attack any enemy ship in exchange for a fifth of the spoils captured. For the first time ever, the islanders — instead of being captured and auctioned in African lands — were the ones in charge, and the letter of marque and reprisal became a way of live.
On 1 June 1806, a pirate brigantine was threatening the Ibizan coast when a small lateen-sailed and oar-powered boat — the San Antonio y Santa Isabel, owned by the sailor Antonio Riquer — fearlessly sailed over to the pirate ship, boarded it, and captured the boat in order to fight off a new invasion. And Riquer did so again and again, up to one hundred times.
The Spanish authorities thanked him by erecting an obelisk under the Cathedral in his memory; one of the few monuments dedicated to a privateer. It was around this time that Ibizan privateers began to forge their fame and legend, being highly respected by islanders. Everyone who prides themselves on knowing Ibiza should know that there are only two monuments dedicated to privateers in the whole world. One is to Captain Drake and the other to Ibizan privateers at the foot of Dalt Vila.
AND THE PRIZES?
The prizes handed out at this exclusive regatta are customised Giobagnara leather trays. This Italian firm specialising in luxury leather goods was the brainchild of the visionary entrepreneur Giorgio Bagnara. In 1939, the Bagnara family started to produce household items and in 1973 decided to specialise in high-end pieces. Giobagnara epitomises Italian craftsmanship and was the first company to offer a full range of leather products inspired by the fashion industry. The refined texture of leather and suede, the clean lines, the use of neutral colours, and the unique philosophy of ‘luxury without ostentation’ make this firm one of the most sought-after choices for the custom decoration of luxury yacht interiors.
Ibiza JoySail is being held from 27 to 30 September, with yachts departing on the Wednesday from STP Shipyard in Mallorca, where the fleet will compete to set a new Palma-Ibiza record. From the Thursday to the Saturday, the fleet will be based at Marina Ibiza, starting point for nearshore racing around Ibiza and Formentera.