Moat successfully defends her title while Hyperion posts a perfect scoreline
Superyacht fleet revels in 20 knot breeze on race around Espardell Island
Ibiza JoySail 2023 scheduled to run from September 28 to 1 October 

Ibiza JoySail finished on a spectacular high note on Sunday with the superyacht fleet fully powered up in a fresh breeze to conclude the Balearic celebration of sail in some style.

Delighted crews and owners were full of praise for the professional organisation out on the racecourse delivered by the international race management team, and the exclusive and entertaining social events ashore.

Four days of racing began with a challenging course between Mallorca and Ibiza, with the fleet relocating from STP Palma to Marina Ibiza, the co-sponsors of the regatta, followed by three days of coastal courses against the backdrop of Ibiza's dramatic southern shoreline.

The final and deciding 18nm race saw the fleet reaching at speed from the start down to and around Espardell Island north of Formentera in 18-20 knots of true wind, giving all the yachts the chance to fully stretch their legs.

Revelling in the conditions the largest yacht at Ibiza JoySail – the 155ft Hyperion – confirmed her claim on the World Cruising Class title with another race victory to complete her perfect winning streak.

“It has been an amazing week here in Ibiza, and in Palma also,” said Hyperion crew member Bertrand Demole. “The race here from Mallorca was stunning, despite it being in light winds it was very tactical, a really nice race and a great welcome in Ibiza.

I would like to thank the organisation for such a great event, we are happy to be here and will be back again for sure.”

The YD120 Bliss, meanwhile, was able to get the better of her World Cruising rival Windrose of Amsterdam in the final race, taking second place, though the impressive Dykstra 152 hung on to her runner-up spot in the overall table.

Over in the highly competitive Performance Class overnight leader Bliss had to give best in the final race to her dogged rival All Smoke, with the RP90 taking the win by just 40 seconds on corrected time.

The result closed the gap at the top, but Moat was able to celebrate retaining her Ibiza JoySail title which she won at last year's inaugural event.

Juan Ball, owner of the Swan 115, said: “We are very excited about the result. Of course we always want to win, it is not the only reason we are here but we try our hardest.

The conditions were different this year, and today with the wind we had a lot more work to do, but we are super-happy – with the result, the boat and the team.”

And he added: “It has been great to have so much competition, and All Smoke have been doing a very good job. The first race, from STP Palma to Marina Ibiza, lasted over seven hours, and we were only a minute and a half apart at the finish so the message is that every second counts and making the right decisions matters.”

The Swan 80 Sapma – the class winner of the first offshore race – took the last place on the Performance Podium and was the winner of the Corinthian Spirit Class.

At the celebratory prize-giving in the heart of Marina Ibiza, Moat also collected the trophy for Best Swan at Ibiza JoySail, and shared the new Mallorca-Ibiza Perpetual Trophy with Hyperion and others for setting a record time between the islands in their division. The Y9 90 Bella II received the trophy for the best Y Yacht at the regatta.

Speaking after racing on the final day Event Director Nacho Postigo said he was satisfied that the second edition of Ibiza JoySail had delivered on its promise.

“Overall, what we have tried to offer is a great combination of fun ashore and good racing out on the water, and people seem very happy with both, which is of course the goal of the regatta. All have come back with feedback on what we can do to improve next year, and we will take note of it all.

One of the great things about sailing around here is that the wind has picked up later in the day every day, and the windy conditions on Sunday was the icing on the cake, so it has been a great combination.”

And Postigo added that next year's event – which will be held the last weekend of September – could see another significant rise in entry numbers.

“For next year we are in discussions with the J-Class, and they are very interested in getting involved, which would be great, so we are very hopeful that they will join,” he said. “And most of the boats here this year have said they would like to come back, so we could be looking at 18 to 20 boats, and if we achieve that I would be very, very happy.”

J-Class Association Secretary Stuart Childerley visited Ibiza JoySail and was clearly impressed: “It has been a fantastic visit, with lovely weather, sunny and with good breeze at the end of September.

“I have been looking at the whole set up at the Ibiza JoySail regatta and you can see that there is real effort to make sure that the competitors and the boats have all they need. It is a great event; it has got everything. It is a lovely city, a busy little port with great facilities here in the marina and I think the organisers are doing a great job promoting the event.”

Ibiza JoySail 2023 is scheduled to run from 28th September to 1st October.

Image: Nico Martimez/Martinez Studio