The best regatists around the world have already confirmed their participation (Photo Jesus Renedo)

50th anniversary of the SAR Trophy Princess Sofia Iberostar... the Majorcan race of Olympic classes, which will be held in the Bay of Palma from March 29 to April 6, will bring together more than 850 ships and 1,200 athletes from 68 countries in which it is the first great test of the European circuit... the version of cruises and monotypes, on the other hand, hopes to have between 50 and 70 ships.

The Laser Standard and Radial classes, the most numerous, hung the full poster several weeks ago, but the organization is studying the possibility of extending the maximum quota so that all interested can enjoy the Sofia Iberostar.

Of the 180 Laser Standard that will compete in Mallorca, the Cypriot Pavlos Kontides, the world champion in 2017 and 2018 and the 2012 Olympic subchampion in London, stands out. In Radio, with 120 participating regatists, the favorites are Dutch Marit Bouwmeester, Olympic gold in Rio 2016, and Belgian Emma Plasschaert, the current world champion of her class.

A similar case occurs in the 49er fleet. The organization has decided to reach up to 106 registered, a record number for the class. "We are probably facing the largest fleet of 49er ever seen in an international competition," says Ferran Muniesa, director of the race. All eyes will be on Sime and Mihovil Fantela. After winning the Olympic gold in Rio 2016 in the 470 class next to Igor Mareic, Sime Fantela decided to bet on the 49th and sail with his brother Mihovil. In only two seasons they have managed to master the ship and to proclaim, last summer, world champions.

In 49er FX, Annemiek Bekkkering and Annete Duetz (Netherlands) will defend the title of champions of the Iberostar Sofia. They are also the current world champions.

Ruggero Tita and Cateria Banti will seek in Mallorca to continue their hegemony in the class Nacra 17. The Italian team has shown in the last two seasons to be a step above the rest of the fleet. In 2018 they were imposed in the Sofia Iberostar and in the championships of the world and of Europe and all points out that this year they will continue to send in the multicasco with stones.

In 470 men, a very tight race is planned with the French Kevin Peponnet and Mion Peremie as rivals to beat thanks to their status as world champions. In front of them, crews such as the Australian one made up of Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, current absolute champions of the Sofia Iberostar, or the Spanish one of Jordi Xammar and Nicolás Rodríguez, bronze in the world of Aarhus 2018, are also presented as firm candidates for victory.

The full world past podium of 470 female will compete in the Sofia Iberostar. Ai Kondo and Miho Yoshikoa (Japan), Silvia Mas and Patricia Cantero (Spain) and Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre (England) will share the leading role in search of victory in Mallorca.

In the Finn class, the three World Olympic Class World Championship medalists held last summer in Aarhus will also compete. The Hungarian Zsombor Berecz got the world gold for only four points in difference to the Swedish Max Salminen, who was made with bronze with a two-point rent to the Dutch Pieter- Jan Postma, bronze. In addition, along with them will sail the British Giles Scott, great connoisseur of the Bay of Palma and current champion of the Sofia Iberostar.

The RS: X male and female classes face the Majorcan race as a pre-European championship test field that will be held at the Nàutic S'Arenal Club from 8 to 13 April. The current women's windsurfing world champion, the Dutch Liliana De Geus, who also prevailed in the 2018 edition of the Sofia Iberostar, will be the rival to beat the Japanese Peina Chen and the Andalusian White Manchón as the main competitors.

On the part of the male windsurfing, the Spanish fleet, with the canary Ángel Granda and the shooting Sergi Scandinell at the head, is shown as one of the main powers in the Majorcan race.

The Sofia Iberostar, organized by the Club Nàutic S'Arenal, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Spanish and Balear sailing federations, is the first major race of the Olympic sailing season in Europe. The competition will begin on Friday, March 29 for the one-design cruises and classes, while on Monday, April 1, the first exit will be given in Palma Bay for the Olympic classes. The tests will take place until Saturday, April 6, when the best qualified of each class will fight the medal race, final race that will serve to crown the winners of each category as well as the absolute winner of the 50 Trophy S.A.R. Princess Sofia Iberostar.