Palma, a sailing city: the Copa del Rey MAPFRE and the Illes Balears Clàssics regatta
Palma, a sailing city: two centuries of history under the bay's sails
Long before Palma Bay served as anything more than a stopover on Phoenician and Roman trading routes — as we explored in our look at the bay's history and the old city — the sea already set the rhythm of the city. That maritime vocation hasn't faded; it has simply turned professional. In 1891, the Club de Regatas was founded at the port, the oldest sailing club in Mallorca and the seed of what in 1948 would become the Real Club Náutico de Palma. Ever since, the bay has filled with sails every summer, and August brings together the two events that best capture Palma's dual nautical identity: the speed and prestige of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE, and the timeless elegance of the Illes Balears Clàssics regatta.
Copa del Rey MAPFRE: the great summit of cruising sailing
This year's 44th edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE took place in Palma Bay from 1 to 8 August, organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma on behalf of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation. More than a hundred yachts and close to a thousand sailors from around twenty countries competed under the "embat", the thermal summer breeze that picks up around midday and blows at 10 to 12 knots — ideal racing conditions. Among them was King Felipe VI, who raced at the helm of the Hispania, the Spanish Navy's new sailing yacht, in the demanding TP52 class.
Revived in its modern format in 1982 under the reign of Juan Carlos I — himself an Olympic sailor at the 1972 Munich Games and a five-time winner of the cup — the regatta has grown into what its organisers describe as the largest cruising sailing event in the Mediterranean. The partnership between the Real Club Náutico de Palma and MAPFRE, its sponsor for two decades, was recently renewed through 2028, securing the future of an event that fills the Paseo Marítimo and the whole bay with activity every August.
The Illes Balears Clàssics regatta: the Mediterranean's floating memory
Just days later, from 11 to 15 August, Club de Mar-Mallorca organised the 31st edition of the Illes Balears Clàssics regatta, bringing together 39 boats across the Classics, Vintage — Gaff and Bermudan — RI Classics, Spirit of Tradition, and Big Boats categories, alongside a "Presence" section reserved for singular yachts that don't race. This edition, the first since the club's extensive refurbishment, coincided with another rare phenomenon: the total solar eclipse of 12 August that, as we covered at the time, turned Old Town rooftops into privileged vantage points.
Among the fleet, the Eilean stood out — a 1936 yacht owned by watchmaker Panerai, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and, in one of those details only time can produce, chartered in 1982 by Duran Duran to film the video for "Rio". Watching her sail alongside other century-old wooden gems, sails full and the Cathedral in the background, is the other side of sailing in Palma — slower, more heritage-minded.
Watching from the city
Both regattas race in the waters of Palma Bay, in full view of much of the Paseo Marítimo and the Old Town. From the Es Princep rooftop, Almaq, perched over the bay from the top of La Calatrava, sails are easy to pick out on the horizon during those August weeks. For those who'd rather get closer to the water, both the Real Club Náutico de Palma and Club de Mar-Mallorca — the respective hosts of each regatta — are within walking distance of the hotel, though it's worth allowing extra time, since the two clubs sit at opposite ends of the port.
Because in Palma, every August, the sea isn't just scenery — it's the main character.
Looking for more ways to experience Palma like a local? Explore more of the season's cultural and culinary ideas on our blog.
