Trofeo Princesa Sofía: The kick-off to the new Olympics - starting signal off Mallorca

The first Trofeo Princesa Sofía took place in 1968. Since then, the Olympic sailors and other classes have always battled off Mallorca at the start of the season for a good start to the new sailing year, success in their disciplines and overall victory in this leading regatta week. The Trofeo for the best overall performance also went to Germany once: Petra Niemann (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) achieved a brilliant performance in 2008 in the Laser Radial. She won her class and the prestigious trophy for best overall performance.

The record holders of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Fergus Hotels are the Spanish hosts with 22 overall victories, followed by Argentina, France, Denmark and the Netherlands with four each and Great Britain with three wins. This means that the Spanish classic is often a reflection of the best performing nations of its time. Athletes from a total of 17 nations have already lifted the Trofeo Princesa Sofia to the skies above Mallorca.

Six German Olympic athletes in action

While the OneDesign competitions of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía already started on 28 March, with the Cape 31 class making its highly acclaimed debut this year, the Olympic sailors will leave the starting blocks on Monday. 68 German participants will be in action from 31 March with 42 boats and boards. The strongest contingents are the 49er men with eleven and the 470 mixed crews with ten German boats.

The GER Olympic starters from Marseille are active in four classes: Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort (Württembergischer Yacht-Club/Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) continue to attack in the 470 Mixed and are one of the most experienced duos in the strong squad of the German Sailing Team. With his new foresailor Paula Amelie Schütze (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein), Malte Winkel, who was narrowly beaten in the national Olympic elimination on the Marseille course a year ago, wants to give it another go.

The 49erFX Olympic sixth-placed Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille (Mühlenberger Segel-Club) are part of the ambitious female German skiff quintet at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía. SailGP strategist Anna Barth is in action with Emma Kohlhoff, as are Sophie Steinlein with Catherine Bartelheimer (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein), Maru Scheel with Freya Feilcke (Kieler Yacht-Club) and Katharina Schwachhofer with Elena Stoltze (Württembergischer Yacht-Club).

German Sailing Team with new head coach

The kiteboarders include Olympic fifth-placed Jannis Maus (Cuxkiters club) and Jan Vöster (Württembergischer Yacht-Club), who have plenty of experience, passion and hunger for progression. The German trio of iQFOiL windsurfers is led by Theresa Steinlein, who finished sixth at the Olympics.

The iQFOiL men's discipline is currently vacant following the retirement of 2022 world champion Sebastian Kördel. In the Nacra 17, Josh Alexander Berktold and Zoe Coers (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee/Essener Turn- und Fechtclub/SKBUe) are competing after Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer, 2021 Olympic bronze medallist, withdrew and switched. Alica Stuhlemmer is now working solo on the iQFOil board to move up. Paul Kohlhoff is building a new professional career outside of Olympic sailing.

The German Sailing Team will be led by new head coach Dom Tidey for the first time this post-Olympic season. Over the winter, the Brit has been working intensively with sports director Nadine Stegenwalner and the German Sailing Team on the new start after the Olympic Games, from where the national team had to return home without any medals in the hot doldrums.

Dom Tidey is optimistic about the current team, saying: "It's a good mix. We have a base of athletes who have already competed at the Olympic Games and are motivated to do another campaign. I think we currently have more people with Olympic experience in the team than we did after the Olympic Games in Japan in preparation for Paris 2024. That's crucial to build on." The results of how the athletes fared at the start of the new Olympics will be shown here from 31 March.

Trofeo Princesa Sofía: "The cathedral of our sport"

The Trofeo Princesa Sofía marks the first performance test at the start of the new Olympic cycle. Until the final on 5 April, a total of six days of racing are on the programme for around 800 boats and boards from 55 countries. At the same time, the Trofeo Princesa Sofía is the first of five regattas in the newly formed Sailing Grand Slamwhich also includes Kiel Week (21 to 29 June). The other regattas in the top series are the Semaine Olympiaque Française, the Dutch Water Week and - with a view to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles - the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta.

The new ambassador of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca is Nacra 17 Olympic champion Santi Lange. The Argentinian told the opening ceremony: "My first Sofia was in 1980 and since then I have been lucky enough to not only experience the growth of the regatta, but also to see how Mallorca has positioned itself around the world. I have incredible memories of this area, which I consider my second home."

This is where all those who have an Olympic dream start their journey." Santi Lange

Lange had sailed to overall victories in the Snipe at the 1986 and 1987 Trofeo Princesa Sofía and said: "I would like to thank all those who have worked over the years to make the Sofia what it is and that the Bay of Palma is probably the centre of world sailing, the cathedral of our sport. My thanks go to all those who decided at the time that the Sofia should be an open event."

All in the same boat at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía

This was once the case for the two most successful sailors in Olympic history: four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie won the Trofeo Princesa Sofía in 2011, while the most successful female Olympic sailor Marit Bouwmeester won off Mallorca in 2014.

Together, the clubs Nàutic S'Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Real Club Náutico de Palma, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the Sailing Federation of the Balearic Islands, with the support of World Sailing, ensure that the Trofeo Princesa Sofía is one of the world's most important regattas for Olympic sailors.

Shortly before the starting signal for the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía and the start of the new Sailing Grand Slam - this is the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía: