2023 Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy set to be most exciting yet with addition of two new classes

Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2022 © Sailing Energy / MFST

The fourth edition of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy, one of Portugal's flagship sailing events, will unfold in the bay of Cascais from the 7th to the 9th of July 2023, with a record six classes across a variety of popular boats.

• Fourth edition of Portugal's prestigious annual regatta returns to Cascais over the weekend of 7-9 July 2023
• Six classes to race across NHC, ORC, Snipe, SB20, Finn and Optimist
• Snipe South European Championship to headline three-day festival of sailing
• Finn class is added to line-up for first time
• Entry fees sponsored by Mirpuri Foundation until 8 June 2023
• Single-use plastic-free sustainable event with all entry fees donated to ocean health projects
• Mirpuri Foundation and International Coral Reef Initiative Ocean Award for innovation in ocean health to be awarded for third time

With three months to go until the start signal, the entry list is steadily growing, including well-known superyachts and record-beating VO65 boats from The Ocean Race. This year's edition also sees the introduction of the Finn class for the first time, as well as the Snipe South European Championship which currently includes entries from Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Established in 2020 to help raise funds for marine conservation, the entry fees for the sustainability-focused regatta are donated to ocean health projects by title sponsor the Mirpuri Foundation. And until the 8th of June 2023, all entry fees will also be sponsored by the Foundation.

As an annual event, the regatta is fast becoming one of the highlights of the European summer sailing calendar and a signature event for the city of Cascais and the organisers Clube Naval de Cascais.

Gonçalo Esteves, President of the Club Naval de Cascais, said: "The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy is one of the most important events in the calendar of Clube Naval de Cascais, and has grown steadily over the past three years. The relationship between the Mirpuri Foundation and CNC has resulted in some very exciting events and projects, and the club looks forward to continuing to grow this event to become one of the most important regattas on the European sailing calendar. Having in this fourth edition the Snipe South European Championships and more classes racing than ever before will make this edition even more special and remarkable."

Sailing fans and visitors to Cascais can expect a sailing spectacle when over one hundred yachts line up for the start in July. The beaches of the Portuguese Riviera are famous for attracting visitors from across the world and the waters are recognised as one of the best spots for yacht racing in Europe, courtesy of the reliable summer breeze where the Azores High meets the low pressure coming off the Iberian Peninsula.

The annual sailing extravaganza has already attracted the interest of many of the world's biggest names in professional sailing, racing some of the best boats, including the IMOCAs and VO65 that compete in The Ocean Race. Local professional team and 2021 and 2022 line honours winners the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, will be competing for the fourth consecutive time onboard their eye-catching VO65 "Racing for the Planet".

The regatta gets under way on Friday, 7 July with the first of three days of racing in the Snipe South European Championship.

On Saturday 8 July ceremonial cannon fire from the Portuguese Navy will commence racing in the NHC, ORC, SB20, Snipe and Finn classes, as well as the popular Optimist class which the Mirpuri Foundation recognises as an important feeder class into professional sailing, with their sponsorship of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Academy run out of the Clube Naval de Cascais.

Sunday 9 July, the third and final day of the regatta will again see all 6 classes competing, after which the impressive Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy currently held by the 107ft superyacht Green Eyes, will be handed over at the popular awards ceremony hosted by the Mirpuri Foundation.

In addition to the numerous class trophies for racing, the prestigious Mirpuri Foundation Ocean Award will be presented for the third time to companies or individuals who present a scientific project that has a beneficial impact on ocean health. This year, awarded in partnership with ICRI, the International Coral Reef Initiative, the monetary prize also provides the opportunity to receive global recognition and gain exposure for exemplary environmental work.

Paulo Mirpuri, Chairman of the Mirpuri Foundation commented: "To be building towards our fourth edition together with the Municipality of Cascais and the Clube Naval de Cascais is a wonderful achievement in itself. The regatta has become a highlight event of the summer in Portugal and we are pleased to see how its success has grown with each edition of the event. Also having the Snipe South European Championships as part of this year's line-up shows how the event has become an important regatta to the sailing community."