A 1,000 miles offshore Atlantic race and two new official race records are among the additions to the 2022 Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy, which will take place from 2 – 10 July next year in Cascais, Portugal.
In addition to launching one of the longest annual offshore races of the year, the organisers of the event have revealed plans for a week-long festival of racing for multiple classes including Maxi Yachts, NHC, ORC, Classics and Optimist, ILCA and 420.
The headline ‘A Thousand Miles Race’ event will follow a course through the Atlantic Ocean from the port of Cascais around Porto Santo Island in the picturesque Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, with the fleet then racing back towards Cascais where crowds of spectators will be waiting to see who will win the spectacular official trophy, crafted from solid gold and silver by the prestigious Leitão & Irmão, jewelers of the Portuguese crown since the 18th century.
Two new race records have also been announced, with prizes and a place in the record books ready to be claimed by the pioneering racers of this first edition – an overall race record for the fastest completion of the full circuit, and an official 12 hour speed record.
Now in its third year, the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy is growing rapidly in scale and ambition, following last year’s spectacular event that featured the fleet of foiling IMOCA 60s and one-design VO65s joining the racing as part of The Ocean Race Europe.
Cascais is a historic and cosmopolitan seaside resort on the edge of the Tagus estuary between the Sintra mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Cascais is known to be one of the best spots for yacht racing in Europe, owing to the reliable, constant wind direction, and a moderate breeze where the Azores High pressure meets the low pressure of the Iberian Peninsula, causing the wind to accelerate where this two systems meet, along the Portuguese coast.
Organised in partnership with the Clube Naval de Cascais, the annual Sailing Trophy is quickly becoming a premier event of the summer sailing calendar, thanks to the combination of its famously reliable wind direction and the internationally-renowned surfing and golf facilities, and easy access from the vibrant capital city of Lisbon, just 30 km away.
The festivities will get underway with an opening ceremony at the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy Race Village on 2 July. Racing will be opened officially by Mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras when a symbolic battery of cannon fire from Fort Santo António da Barra will signal the start of the day’s racing, in view of the fleet assembled below.
Sustainability is at the core of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy. The plastic-free event was founded to raise awareness and important funds for marine conservation projects around the world. The event also celebrates the innovation and creativity of the scientific community, with a number of sustainability-forward initiatives fundamental to the event, including the Mirpuri Foundation Ocean Award which celebrates companies or individuals who present a project that has a beneficial impact on the health of our oceans.
Paulo Mirpuri, Founder of the Mirpuri Foundation said: “We are proud to launch the new “A Thousand Miles Race” as part of the growth of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy and to set a brand-new annual challenge for racers to relish. We are excited to see which sailors will come here and stamp their name on the Trophy. With more than a week of activities confirmed, the 2022 edition of the Sailing Trophy is going to be the biggest and most ambitious yet, a significant step forward for the long-term life of this event. We look forward to welcoming friends old and new to Cascais and to kicking off one of the premier events of the 2022 European sailing calendar.”
Mr Gonçalo Esteves, President of Clube Naval de Cascais said:“We are glad to see and be part of the evolving process of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy. This event is already established on the Portuguese sailing calendar and we believe with the new “A Thousand Miles Race” event this championship can become one of the most important offshore races in europe.”
Cascais Marina has previously played host to numerous high profile sailing events, including the America’s Cup World Series, the World Match Racing Tour, the Audi MedCup and The Ocean Race Europe. The Clube Naval de Cascais has been an institution of Portuguese sailing since it was founded in 1938 and is home to the biggest sailing school in the country. Cascais is also the team base of the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, victors of The Ocean Race Europe earlier this year.
Pre-registration for the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy is now open.
