Sebastian Kempe and Adriana Penruddocke took to the waves in Mallorca today as the Princess Sofia Trophy got under way.

Kempe and Penruddocke, competing in the Ilca 7 and Ilca 6 respectively were both in action on the opening day of the regatta in Spain.

A recent winner of the Bermuda male athlete of the year honour at the National Sports awards this month, Kempe sits 26th of the 199 entrants on 29 points after two races.

With the field split into three ― red, yellow and blue fleets ― Kempe finished seventeenth in his opening race in yellow fleet before improving to twelfth in race two.

Australian Matt Wearn leads the way on six points after winning one race and finishing fifth in the other in red fleet. Singapore’s Ryan Lo sits second after finishing first and sixth in his two races in blue fleet with Bruno Gaspic, from Croatia, occupying third place after a fifth and a second in yellow fleet.

It was a disappointing start to the regatta for Adriana Penruddocke, who took part in the yellow fleet and finished 63rd in her opening race. She is 125th of the 143 entries.

The Ilca 6 regatta is led by Matilda Nicholls, who learnt how to sail at the age of six at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club when living on the island with her family.