Nowadays setting and breaking records in sailing is every bit as motivating and satisfying as racing. Competing over a fixed distance against the clock is only one part of the fun. Studying the best meteo files and preparing the optimum, fastest course – usually with the minimum of transitions and sail changes – is the first step. Then, executing against the computer generated route is the real sailing challenge.
Superyacht racers who have been heading to Ibiza JoySail have always had the opportunity to tilt at the record for the 48 nautical miles passage from Punto Cala Figuera, Mallorca to Tagomago island Ibiza but because until now these benchmarks have been set in ‘race’ conditions the marks have remained relatively modest.
But now as the regatta offers four instead of three days of coastal racing, the Mallorca to Ibiza record for a Perpetual Trophy has become an ‘added value’ challenge.
Ibiza JoySail organisers have now opened an opportunity so that crews can now carefully choose their own time window to dash between the beautiful Balearic islands any time at 30 days before Ibiza JoySail racing begins.
All that teams have to do is register in advance, pick up their tracker and fly the Ibiza JoySail flag.
What would that weather window look like?
A few hours of champagne sailing could be followed by a champagne celebrations. What better way to build up to Ibiza JoySail?
Ibiza JoySail’s Technical Director, renowned navigator and Balearics weather specialist Nacho Postigo explains some ideal weather scenarios,
“During the summer period, easterly gradient winds (sometimes referred as the easterly Iberian peninsula trade winds) are prevalent in the Balearics. However the thermal effects of the mainland shorelines and of big islands such as Mallorca can completely distort this flow during the middle of the day hours (and at night) by developing sea breezes that, in the case of Mallorca can “fight” this gradient wind.”
He continues, “However, when the gradient is strong enough (normally over 16kts), champagne sailing conditions build up which are ideal for the fast hop from Mallorca to Ibiza, sailing downwind in moderate wind conditions that could help boats choosing that right window to smash the previously established records.”
“So far, with the arbitrary start and finishes imposed by the original passage race, sailing against other boats over fixed time window means we have never yet been lucky enough to get something even a little bit close to the ideal fast downwind or reaching conditions. So let’s open the time window wide, offer a 30 day period before Ibiza JoySail starts to watch for the perfect weather and then go for it. Enjoy an unforgettable ride to Ibiza.” Enthuses Postigo.
The targets?
The consensus is that in the right conditions a high performance Superyacht could drop the record to around four hours, that would be a readily achievable 12kts average. And other more cruising oriented boats could find it relatively easy to establish records in the vicinity of five hours, which is around a 10kts average boatspeed.
How to register for a record attempt?
Any yacht registered for the Ibiza JoySail regatta is entitled to attempt a new record. – A yacht intending to attempt the record would inform Ibiza JoySail OA by email to info@ibizajoysail.com and collect the tracker and the event backstay flag, at least 24h before the attempt.
There is a 30-day available window before the start of the Ibiza JoySail regatta to attempt the record; the window to complete the attempt opens on Wednesday August 21st from 00:00 and closes on Thursday September 19th at 00:00. –
The starting line is defined by the lighthouse of Punta Cala Figuera (SW of Mallorca Island) and the finishing Line is defined by the lighthouse of Tagomago Island off Ibiza
The existing records
*NOTE: boats eligible for the Cruising divisions shall have a DLR above 100