It's been an incredible first day at the Superyacht Cup in Palma. The new generation of J-class yachts had the honour of starting proceedings at this four-day event, which is the longest running superyacht regatta in Europe.
The Bay of Palma is tonight full of the world's great sailing yachts as we write, including five built by Claasen: Atalanta, Heartbeat, Lionheart, Drumfire and Firefly. It's a splendid sight as the Regatta Village is located at Muelle Viejo, with the majestic Palma Cathedral as a backdrop.
Today's first race set the tone for what is to come. At exactly 13.00, five mightily Js – Lionheart, Velsheda, Hanuman, Ranger and Rainbow – crossed the starting line in unison hand and set off on the 20-km course. Our live blog of proceedings, which was published on the Claasen social media pages, captured the flavour of the excitement that unfolded as four out of the five Js held the lead at different times. At the end Ranger came in first, with Hanuman second and Lionheart third, just 100 metres and 15 seconds behind.
Congratulations to all the crews for running such a fantastic first race. Tonight all the owners and crew are coming together at a Welcome Cocktail Party and no doubt there will be many bets wagered and dares shared on the outcome of tomorrow's race. If you cannot be in Palma to see the action unfold, follow our live blog on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Linkedin and the Claasen website.
