Revitalizing Competition Between Nations

The Nations Trophy has been launched by its founder, Nautor’s Swan, with the fundamental commitment to revitalize the concept of competition between nations. It is an event which celebrates the history and spirit of international sailing, and reflects the camaraderie and competitiveness central to the success of the sport.

The first edition will be held from October 10-14, 2017 in Palma de Mallorca. The Nations Trophy is open to three Swan One Design classes: ClubSwan 50, Swan 45 and ClubSwan 42. All three will be racing for class championships as well as The Nations Trophy.

Chairman of Nautor’s Swan, passionate Swan owner and lifelong racing yachtsman, Leonardo Ferragamo is one of the enthusiastic protagonists behind the event: “We are very excited about this project. It is so lovely when countries get together in fair, gentleman-like competition in boats so similar that you put in challenge real human values and skills.”

Over the four days of racing, which comprise three days of windward/leeward courses and one coastal race, the Swan 45s will be competing for their World Championship and the ClubSwan 50s and 42s their European Championships. All races will count equal and there will be no discards.

For this, the inaugural, edition the winner of The Nations Trophy will be determined by taking the scores of each nation’s top two boats across the entire three-class fleet. The nation with the lowest points score will win.

“The Nations Trophy is an opportunity to bring sailors from different countries together, to place them in friendly, fair-spirited confrontation and to see which is the best,” commented Ferragamo. “Nautor’s Swan has always been a global company, and this type of event is very much in our DNA.”

Entries are anticipated from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the USA.

The concept is for The Nations Trophy to be contested biennially, and plans are already in the making for the event to move to Newport, Rhode Island, in the USA in 2019, Cowes in the UK in 2021 and Hong Kong in 2023.

For more information on The Nations Trophy 2017: www.thenationstrophy.com

 
The Nations Trophy 2017 is the culmination of the Swan One Design European season and will also serve to determine the Swan 45 World Championship, along with the ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 42 European Championships. The Swan One Design European season comprises:

SailRacing PalmaVela, Palma de Mallorca: 3 – 7 May 2017
Giraglia Rolex Cup, Saint-Tropez: 11 – 13 June 2017
Copa del Rey Mapfre, Palma de Mallorca: 29 July – 5 August 2017
The Nations Trophy, Palma de Mallorca: 10 – 14 October 2017

Source: The Nations Trophy