Regatta parties and nautical events in Mallorca: what to plan for

Regattas have one programme on the water and another on shore: prize-givings, owners’ dinners, fleet parties. When we are asked to produce nautical events in Mallorca, the stage is nearly always a few metres from the boats, out in the open, and the event starts in daylight and finishes after dark. That shapes almost every technical decision.

We have worked on several editions of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE at the Real Club Náutico de Palma, on Sail Racing PalmaVela, the Oyster Palma Regatta and the 52 Super Series parties in Puerto Portals. This is what we always have in mind.

Build in daylight, test at sunset

At a nautical event the build happens in daylight and the party is seen at night. Lighting that looks fine at midday can fall short once it gets dark, and the other way round.

At the 43rd Copa del Rey Mapfre party in 2025, we put up a truss stage at the edge of the pool at the Real Club Náutico, with sound flown on both sides and a lighting rig of spotlights, moving heads and circular fixtures. The build was done during the day and tested at sunset. Once night fell, the pool turned blue and purple and the beams rose above the harbour, with the boats moored a few metres away.

We never skip that sunset rehearsal, because it is the only moment you can see how the lighting behaves in the real setting.

Screens that can handle the sun

If there is a prize-giving in the late afternoon, the screen has to be visible in sunlight. For that we use 10 mm outdoor LED screens, which stay readable in strong ambient light.

At Sail Racing PalmaVela in 2019 we installed an outdoor LED screen on the club terrace for the prize-giving, showing footage of the racing while the sailors gathered in front. The pontoon and the esplanade were lined with flags, and a large-format banner with the regatta’s branding completed the graphics.

At the 37th Copa del Rey MAPFRE, the year of the club’s 70th anniversary, the LED screen sat on a riser on the terrace, dressed with that year’s graphics, with rows of chairs laid out in front for the ceremonies.

The water as part of the stage

Water means protecting equipment and cabling and keeping safe distances, but it also reflects everything.

At the Owners’ Dinner by MAPFRE during the 38th Copa del Rey MAPFRE we built a white stage over the club pool, with a walkway across the water, truss arches carrying moving heads and sound towers at the sides. Coloured projections on the façades of the club buildings were reflected in the pool. With little equipment, the reflection doubled the scene.

Wind, humidity and salt

By the sea, wind comes before anything else. Truss structures, screens and banners all catch it, so loads are calculated and everything is secured. Equipment also needs protecting from humidity and salt, and there has to be a plan for what happens if the weather turns.

That is why stretch tents turn up so often at these events. At Puerto Portals Sailing Week in 2018 we worked under a stretch tent on the promenade: circular bars with the regatta’s branding, a stage with the 52 Super Series photocall and, at night, leaf textures projected onto the fabric in oranges and violets. Lighting was run from a control desk inside the tent itself. In 2025 the party was once again held in a tent by the harbour, with truss carrying spotlights, moving heads and arches of plants and flowers.

It isn’t all about the party

A regatta has many moments and each one needs something different. At the Oyster Palma Regatta 2018 we installed a long LED wall in a darkened corridor, showing the boats under sail, with the trophies displayed in front in cases on white plinths. For the fleet party we set up an LED screen on a riser and lit the room with its arched windows, and the stretch tent where the sailors gathered, in purple and orange.

At the 37th Copa del Rey there was also an interview corner inside the building, with a sponsors’ photocall, stools and an LED spotlight, and the ISDIN stand was installed on the quay, an open white structure with a timber floor.

Sponsors everywhere

At these events the sponsors’ branding has to be visible, and even more so in photos. At the 43rd Copa del Rey, the DJ booth was white with the sponsors’ logos, and the LED screens alternated the regatta’s branding with graphics for the music. It is worth thinking from the outset about where the logos fall in relation to the cameras and the lighting.

Before asking for a quote for a nautical event

It helps a lot to know what time it starts and finishes, whether there is a daytime part and a night-time part, how many people are expected, whether there will be a prize-giving with a screen, and how much space is really available at the club or harbour.

You can find more about our equipment under event technology in Mallorca and about sets under stage design and production. If you are planning a regatta, tell us about the programme on shore.