WORLD CHAMPION MARIA PERELLÓ DOMINATES TROFEO CIUTAT DE PALMA

Confidence, Consistency, and the Power of the North R-2 Radial Sail

The Trofeo Ciutat de Palma is one of the biggest Optimist events in Europe and also includes the 420, Laser, and Europe classes. In its 68th edition, the regatta welcomed 275 Opti sailors from many European countries for a challenging 7-race series. The sailors were divided into three divisions: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Maria Perello, from Spain, dominated the event with an impressive scoreline of 2-(6)-1-1-1-2-2 in the 96-boat Gold Fleet.

Maria, congratulations on your victory! Can you describe the conditions of the regatta?

On the first two days we had light winds with 3 to 7 knots. On the last day we had 15-20 knots, it was a lot of fun!

What were the three key factors for such consistent results in Palma, winning three races and finishing second in the other three races?

1. The constant hard work during the races
2. The enjoyment, because if we don’t have fun things don’t go well
3. The confidence in myself!

Tell us about your training routine.

On Saturdays we get to the club at 10 am, with my friends as well. If there is no wind, we wait for the wind to come in and then we go out as soon as possible. We practice starts, maneuvers, we check speed and more.

How does coach Adrian Barceló help you?

Adrian explains the plan for the day and the approach that he wants and the conclusions that he is looking forward to have.

What are your next events?

We have the Aecio Trophy from 26 to 30 of December, then we go to the Baleares Regatta in the middle of January and the XII Trofeo Euromarina in Torrevieja in the end of January.

Congratulations Maria!

Maria used the North R-2 Radial Mainsail, which also helped her win the World Championship in Greece. The North Sails R Series for the Optimist class is designed by our Olympic-winning designers from North Sails Japan. Each design is tailored for the sailor’s weight as follows:

• R-1 Mainsail – Below 36 kg / 79 lbs
• R-2 Mainsail – 33-41 kg / 72 – 90 lbs
• R-4 Mainsail – 38-46 kg / 84 – 101 lbs
• R-5 Mainsail – Above 45 kg / 100 lbs

For additional information, don’t hesitate to contact your closest North Sails Optimist experts.