The 51st edition of Trofeo Princesa Sofía concluded yesterday in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. This is was the first event of the 2022 Hempel World Cup Series organized by World Sailing.
ILCA 7 results
Our reigning 2021 ILCA 7 European champion Michael Beckett GBR ratified he has achieved the skills and strenght to enter in the top sailor’s discussion to stay, now winning this championship against all the best sailors around the World. The British sailor has a great sailing performance in Palma with three 1st, three 2nd and a 3rd in the qualifying and final series regattas. The medal race was not that great with a 7th but good enough to secure the first spot.
“I’ve won Trofeo Sofia! It’s mad, it’s the first World Cup of the year and after the trickiest medal race I’ve ever done, it’s a gold medal!”, declared the champion in his Instagram account.
“At one point it looked like I would be last which would not have been good at all. Matt was winning and so would have won the event. It was unbelievably stressful until I crossed the line. I have grown up racing against these Olympic medallists and so I do know exactly how hard it is to beat them because I have never done it before. It feels good.” – Michael Beckett GBR.
The second place was for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Gold medallist Matthew Wearn AUS, finishing 6 points behind Micky after winning the medal race.
“Second place at the first event after the Games is good, I am happy. I had a breakage on the first day and it was a bit uphill after that. It is a bit frustrating because if I had had a decent first day then I would have been in the hunt to win, but we still have Hyères next” said Matt after the racing.
“You can do anything if you want to. I took this lesson from the Games, to come back from adversity and never give up” – Matthew Wearn AUS.
The third place on podium was for the German representative Philipp Buhl GER.
“3rd place at Trofeo Sofia World Cup 2022! I am pleased with my performance and especially my progress in a couple of certain areas this week. Of course there is plenty of room for improvements, but I believe I know exactly what I need to do” declared the 2020 World champion Philipp Buhl GER.
Finn Lynch IRL was fourth, 17 points out of podium. Pavlos Kontides CYP, Tonci Stipanovic CRO, Filip Jurisic CRO and Elliot Hanson GBR were also among the top 10.
“First World Cup of 2022 done. Finished the medal race 2nd and climbed to 6th overall. It’s a good beginning for the season to build on. Started the week really well but stayed out of fuel towards the end” – Pavlos Kontides CYP.
ILCA 6 results
The main highlight on women’s competition was the terrific performance showed by the Canadian sailor Sarah Douglas CAN, securing the gold medal with the last day to spare after winning 6 of the 10 qualifying and final series races. Even finishing 6th in the medal race, she wrapped the event with only 28 points, less than half of her followers on podium, Hannah Snellgrove GBR and Vasileia Karachaliou GRE with 59 and 62 units respectively.
“I am so happy with the week and the way I sailed. I can’t believe it. It is my first podium and my first World Cup win. I am stoked. I was kind of the queen of sixth place over the last quad and I told myself I wanted to stand on the podium on this journey to Paris 2024 and so I am so happy to start off like this”, said Sarah after the racing.
It was a good championship also for Louise Cervera FRA, Anna Munch DEN, Maud Jayet SUI, Maria Erdi HUN, Emma Plasschaert BEL and Maxime Jonker NED, finishing 4th to 9th overall.
“4th place at the first World Cup of the year!!! Oh my god it’s just amazing, I’m so so happy about this. Time for one week of recovery” declared an excited Louise Cervera FRA on Instagram.
