The 30-metre Wally sailing yacht Galateia has won the Maxi A class at the PalmaVela regatta for the second year in a row. The Wallycento model and her crew achieved a near-perfect scoreline across the four-day regatta, disrupted only by fellow WallyCento and racing royalty Magic Carpet3 who took the win on Friday's second windward-leeward race.
The WallyCento model also won the trophy for best-placed International Maxi Association member, marking a confident start for her 2023 IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge campaign.
The 19th edition of the PalmaVela Regatta kicked off the Mediterranean racing season on 3 May at Real Club Nautico de Palma and marked the opening event for the International Maxi Association’s 2023 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge.
Over 110 boats from across 20 different nations took to the bay, with nine Maxis divided between two classes; the faster yachts in Maxi A and the classics in Maxi B. The regatta saw optimum weather conditions for the first half, with lighter-than-forecast winds for the remainder of the last two days.
A strong start from Galateia, helmed by David Leuschen, meant she completed the first race in two hours and 29 minutes, putting considerable distance between her competitors. Keeping the Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 84 Vera and the 30.4-metre Wally Magic Carpet Cubed astern.
The penultimate and final days saw more challenging racing, weather-wise, with a slow start from the light and variable winds. Galateia and Magic Carpet Cubed battled it out until the finishing line where Galateia consolidated their overall lead, second place was secured by Magic Carpet Cubed and bronze was awarded to Vera.
“Palma has always been very kind to us. Maybe it is because the boat is based here! It is the third or fourth time we have raced here, and we have had good luck every time,” said Leuschen. “We have got a great crew that we continue to tweak, and we seem to learn something new every race: Today, we did a gybe peel just before the finish – the crew did a masterful job."
Besides the standout leaders, other competitors in the class included another Wally named Rose, Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 100Morgana and the Vismara 68 Pelotari Project.
The IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge continues soon, on 15-18 May, with inshore races taking place in Sorrento. Galateia’s racing schedule will include the race next month at the Rolex Giraglia, and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in September, before ending the season at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez.