Mallorca’s shimmering coastline played host to some of the world’s best sailors last week at the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta – the first major test of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam. Among the hundreds of elite competitors, a crew of Sydney Uni student-athletes made their mark on the international stage.
This iconic regatta is renowned for its varied and challenging conditions, from strong breezes and rolling waves to light, choppy sea winds and unpredictable offshore shifts. As one of the first major events of the season, it offers Australia’s top sailors a vital opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best and fine-tune their performance ahead of key competitions later in the year.
Representing the University of Sydney’s Elite Athlete Program (EAP) Otto Henry, Jack Hilderbrand, Stella Hurley, and Julian Taylor each took to the water across three Olympic boat classes.
For Otto Henry, competing in the 49er class with new partner Shaun Connor, Mallorca marked a significant step in their campaign. The pair sailed into 14th place overall, finishing strong with a second-place result in the gold fleet on the final day. It was an impressive debut for the duo on the international scene, showing they’re more than ready to mix it with the world’s best.
Also competing in the 49er class was Jack Hildebrand, racing with crewmate Jack Ferguson. The pair finished 42nd overall and showed promising consistency throughout the regatta. With every race, Jack continues to grow as a competitor at the highest level of sailing.
In the 49ersFX, Stella Hurley joined Australia’s powerful contingent of women’s skiff sailors. Stella’s presence in such a competitive fleet underscores her place among Australia’s emerging sailing talents. Finishing 31st overall.
In the ILCA 7, Julian Taylor faced off against one of the toughest fleets in international sailing. He finished 135th overall. This being a solid step forward in his development.
From everyone at Sydney Uni Sport, we would like to congratulate Otto, Jack, Stella and Julian on there fantastic achievements.
