Organised in conjunction with the Clube Naval de Cascais and the municipality of Cascais, the sustainability-focused regatta was established in 2020 to help raise funds for marine conservation and forms part of the Mirpuri Foundation’s marine pillar of initiatives.

Having lifted the line honours trophy in the first two editions of the regatta and the silverware for first place in the VO65 class in 2022, the team is aiming high once again ahead of this year’s regatta.

At the helm of the team’s VO65 “Racing for the Planet” is a new skipper with a wealth of experience across many disciplines of yacht racing. Three-time Portuguese Olympian Diogo Cayolla will lead the team for the first time, having previously competed with the team in The Ocean Race 2022-23 as crew.

Joining him on board are an all-Portuguese crew made up of both highly experienced veterans, as well as younger sailors who are looking to build on their already impressive professional sailing resumes.

Portuguese Olympians, Bernardo Freitas and Mariana Lobato are familiar faces on the team and recently competed in The Ocean Race 2022-23. they are joined by two more female sailors, Francisca Pinho and Matilde Pinheiro de Melo. All four formed part of the crew that sailed previously in The Ocean Race 2022-23.

Another team member from The Ocean Race crew is the  local Cascais sailor Francisco Cai-Água and he is joined by João Matos Rosa who previously competed in the Extreme Sailing Series, as well as crew on the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team when they won the Cascais Vela in 2021.  

Manuel Dantas, the only new member on the team and brings with him experience in the ultra-competitive TP52 series, as well as many other well-known classes.

Hélder Basíllo and Nuno Dias complete the nine-person crew.  Both previously worked with the team as shore crew on The Ocean Race and The Ocean Race Europe campaigns and combined have experience racing in multiple classes.

President of the Mirpuri Foundation Paulo Mirpuri, commented: “The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team and their boat “Racing for the Planet” are always a popular spectacle at the regatta and draw lots of attention from both the media and public. I always enjoy watching how they perform and good result goes a long way to helping amplify the important messages of the foundation.”

Racing in the 2023 Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy commences on Friday 7 July with the first day of the Snipe Southern European Championship, while racing in the first of two days for the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team starts on Saturday 8 July.

Crew list for the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2023.

Diogo Cayolla – Skipper

Bernardo Freitas

Hélder Basílio

João Matos Rosa

Mariana Lobato

Matilde Pinheiro de Melo

Francisco Cai-Água

Francisca Pinho

Nuno Dias

Manuel Dantas