After spending New Zealand's summer training and competing domestically, the NZL Sailing Team - including Tauranga sailors Peter Burling, Molly Meech, Thomas Saunders and Jason Saunders - are Mediterranean-bound.

The Spanish island of Mallorca will host the first regatta of the northern season on Monday, when the 2015 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta gets underway in the Balearics.

The NZL Sailing team are all set for a northern summer. Photo: Supplied.

The regatta lasts for six days, with medal winners decided on April 4. Despite being dropped from the ISAF Sailing World Cup programme, the long-standing regatta has attracted some strong entries for its 46th edition, and the Kiwis compete against most of their major rivals.

'This is the first European regatta for the NZL Sailing team this season and traditionally it is a well-attended event,” says high performance director for Yachting New Zealand, Jez Fanstone.

'It's an opportunity to try out things learned in training over the summer in New Zealand.

'We've got a busy year ahead with the change in format to the ISAF Sailing World Cup series and the Rio Olympic Test event in August.”

Changes made to the ISAF Sailing World Cup will see entries to up-coming ISAF World Cup regattas restricted in numbers to 40 boats per class. This will include the Hyeres, Weymouth and Qingdao events.

Up to 20 per class will apply at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi in November. ISAF World rankings in the Olympic classes will be released more regularly, with the top-ranked sailors earning an invitation to compete at the next ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta.

A final opportunity for un-qualified sailors is on offer at certain nominated events, and 2015 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta provides that final chance for an entry to Hyeres in late April.