Early leaders

Gaastra Palmavela sets sail for the Wallys, Maxi 72 and TP52s

Today the 12th Gaastra PalmaVela got underway in light winds on the Bay of Palma. The regatta that traditionally launches the Mediterranean big boat sailing season started with four of the 17 classes racing - Wally, Maxi 72, TP52 and IRC - or 21 of the 140 boats from 16 different nationalities that will compete in the regatta over the next few days.

The Race Committee managed to hold two races for each class in a southerly breeze that built from five to 10 knots, with a break between races awaiting the breeze to settle.

Leaders after the opening day are J One in the Wally class, Interlodge in the TP52s, Jethou in Maxi 72 and Grupo Clínico Dr. Luis Senís in IRC.

In the Wally class, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' Wallycento Magic Carpet 3 and Jean-Charles Decaux's Wally 77 J One earned the first two wins on handicap in what is an impressive line up of nine boats ranging size from 107 to 77ft. The heavyweight bout for line honours was between Magic Carpet 3 and Bugatti Chairman Thomas Bscher's Open Season. While previously these were both 100ft long WallyCentos, over the winter Open Season has been transformed into a Wally 107 with extra hull having been added to her stern. This has gone some way to overcoming her balance problems when she was previously Sir Charles Dunstone's Hamilton. Following an incident with Galma in the second race, Magic Carpet 3 was penalised dropping her to sixth place in that race.

In the Maxi 72 class (formerly the Mini Maxi), there are effectively three new boats racing here. The latest - and racing her first regatta here is the Rán sistership MOMO for German owner Dieter Schön (best known as owner of the CNB-built Wally-like Brenta 100 Chrisco), while Sir Peter Ogden's all-black Jethou (the ex-STIG) has a new rig and keel while the reigning Maxi 72 World Champion, Alegre, has gone the same way as Andres Soriano's Mills 68, and was sold to Alex Shaerer in January. It has since been renamed Caol Ila R, like the 68.

Legendary America's Cup tactician Brad Butterworth continues to call the shots on board Jethou. "I think any of the three boats could win a race and if you just get a little bit ahead it is quite hard to pass on this track," he commented, referring to today's windward-leewards. "It is very left hand. If you are the left hand boat and slightly ahead you will lead around the top mark and then you are gone." Jethou won the second race starting half way up the line (the others were close to the pin) to gain some of the line-bias. MOMO initially crossed ahead of Jethou but Jethou gained a nice left shift when she tacked back to lead around the top mark and never looked back.

It was a difficult day for Caol Ila R which finished third (ie last) in both races. As tactician Gordon Maguire stated: "We had a very disappointing day but it was our first day racing in the new boat. We just sailed badly. We were in the race and then not in the race and a lot of it was down to the tactics and strategy. Sadly that is very much my department but I am old enough to put my hand up." In truth it was a snakes and ladders day on the water and it was very easy to fall into holes.

There is also much new tech in the TP52 class. However it was American Austin Fragomen's older generation Interlodge which scored a resounding win in the first race. The boat has been lightened considerably and appears to be a weapon in the light, helped in this regatta by having former Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker on the helm.

A bullet and a third was enough to leave Interlodge leading after day one, however all eyes were on the new Botin & Partners designs Azzurra, Quantum Racing and Andres Soriano's Alegre. Among these, Quantum Racing (with DeVos son, Dalton, steering) is second tied on points with Alegre and with Azzurra in fourth after a disappointing day for the Italian-Argentine team.

Tomorrow, racing will begin at midday with the addition of the one designs - the J/80s, Flying Fifteens and Dragons, plus the ORC, Classic and Vintage class.