All is quiet in Menorca in February and March, and it is a great time to go walking around the Cami de Cavalls or sailing to the deserted beaches. This year it is, perhaps, quieter than usual as we have been left without any direct flights to any countries outside of Spain, including the UK, from mid-January up until the end of March.
For the last couple of years we have been reliant on Monarch to operate the only direct flights to the UK and, after their recent troubles, the company took the decision to stop all flights to Menorca for 2 months before starting up again for Easter. So, if you are prepared to fly in, or sail across, from Barcelona or Mallorca you can enjoy a very tranquil break on a still underdeveloped and largely unspoilt island.
We believe that this enforced isolation will bring a flood of regular visitors from the UK when Monarch flights resume on 30th March from Leeds Bradford, Birmingham, Luton and London Gatwick. And so, what will this year offer to the boating fraternity visiting Menorca? Here is a quick look at some of the major sailing events on the calendar in 2015.
Wallys and Mini Maxis visit Mahon in May
The first good news is that the Port of Mahon will once again host the second edition of the “Menorca Maxi” between 26 and 31 May 2015, one of the most spectacular sailing events on the calendar. In 2014, the Wally main class had three superb J-Class yachts as guests. This year, the Maxi 72s will be the guests. These latest Mini Maxis are identical to Wallys but with a maximum length of 24 meters (72 feet) and a minimum of 18 meters. The Menorca Maxi will be the first of four official races to contest the M 72 in the Mediterranean in 2015.
Sitges to Ciutadella Regatta in June
The fourth edition of the Sitges to Ciutadella regatta will take place on the 12th,13th and 14th June 2015. This race covers 118 nautical miles and it is organized jointly by Club Nautic Ciutadella (CNC), Aiguadolç Port de Sitges and Difusión Náutica. In 2014, the winner of the event was Alberto Fucale who broke his own record and finished in 17 hours 53 minutes and 47 seconds in his First 50, called Don’t Ask. There was only one entrant from Menorca, namely Toni Pons who single handedly sailed his J92 boat Jin Tonic, the smallest in the fleet of 13. We hope that in 2015 more sailors from Menorca will be encouraged to take up the challenge after hearing about Toni Pons’ experiences. The event is open to single handed sailing, double handed sailing and full crews. This year the winner will take home a painting by the acclaimed Menorcan artist Pepe Torrent Vivó.
Classic Yachts on show in Mahon
The biggest event of the year will be in August when Mahon hosts the Panerai Vela Clasica Menorca from 27-30th August 2015. The racing takes place on the 28th, 29th and 30th and it is a great opportunity to get up close to the beautiful yachts and see them race against the historical back drop of the harbour.
Recently another big event has been announced for 2016 when the Tall Ships will visit Mahon for 4 days between 16th and 19th May 2016. The event has been brought to Menorca by the ef
forts of the Balearic Port Authority and the Mayor of Mahon. In addition to the spectacle of the boats and related cultural events there will be the opportunity for young people from Menorca from 15-25 years old to enlist as trainees aboard the ships in a programme organized by Sail Training International.
Dinghy and Cruising Regattas
Dinghy racing in Menorca continues to thrive with a friendly rivalry between the local sailors racing in Optimists, Lasers and Snipes as well as the Cruising classes. One of the biggest events is the Annual Trofeo Farragut regatta which takes place on the first weekend of November. In 2014 there were 120 participants with 81 sailors from 9 Balearic clubs competing in the Optimist Class alone. The winners receive a bronze statue of the Admiral Faragut which is one of the most coveted trophies of the year.
There has been a revival of Snipe racing in Menorca in the last couple of years with 15 Snipes now competing on the island. A local sailor Luis Villa set up a Facebook page ‘I Love Snipe Class Menorca’ and they have run regattas, training and social events to promote the dinghies.
The end of 2014 saw the Club Marítimo de Mahon hosting the Annual Awards for all the competitive events from kayaks to cruising yachts. We were pleased to get recognition for our sponsorship of three of their young sailors.
John Davies, Principal of Menorca Cruising, with Nico and Enric, two of the young sailors we sponsored to go to the European Championships in Norway
Dates for your diary 2015
March 15 y 29- Trofeo Center Nautic – CNC
May 22, 23,24 – Trofeo Interclubs Ciutadella – Sant Pere CNC.SP
May 26-31 – Menorca Maxi CMM
June 12,13,14 – Regatta Sitges – Ciutadella CNC
August 27-30 Panerai Vela Clasica CMM
Oct 31 Nov 1 – Trofeo Almirante Faragut CNC
A full list of the regattas can be viewed on the sailing federation website
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