Classic Yachts Debut at the 20th Copa del Rey Repsol in Mahón Waters

The 20th Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época kicked off with very light Levante winds and a coastal course of just 6.5 nautical miles.

The waters of Mahón were again under the influence of an anticyclone, which forced the crews to make the most of every slight gust. The Race Committee also had to work hard to complete the inaugural race, after the first day was suspended due to lack of wind.

The start was delayed by two hours. As the day progressed and the wind, peaking at seven knots, subsided, it became clear that the course needed to be shortened. Ariane Mainemare, the principal race officer, decided to set the finish line at Isla del Aire, a point that under normal circumstances would have marked the midway of the course. The forecast was accurate in direction but not in strength.

"Comet" in the Bermudian Epoch and "Argos" in Classics, both champions of the last edition, adapted well to the challenging weather conditions of the day and are already leading their respective classes. "Chinook" comfortably beat "Rowdy" in the battle of the twin boats in the Epoch Cangreja class, "Calima" is headed for what could be its fifteenth victory in the Spirit of Tradition, and "Lady Anne" left no room for its competitors in Big Boats.

The F15 class yachts, with their thoroughbred lines and colossal trapezoidal rigs, dominated the Big Boats class against competitors who need much stronger winds to perform at their best. "The Lady Anne" (1912), helmed by Gonzalo Botín, took the lead from the start, exploiting every breath of wind to extend its lead over its two main rivals, "Mariska" (1908), which came in second, and "Tuiga" (1909), which finished third. The leader completed the course in one hour and twenty-three minutes, securing a comfortable lead of nearly four minutes over its closest competitor. "Viveka" (1929), "Hallowe'en" (1926), "Mariette" (1915), and "Orianda" (1937), debuting at the Copa del Rey Repsol, crossed the finish line in that order. This is the first time in 20 years that the regatta organized by Club Marítimo de Mahón has gathered seven units of over 24 meters in length.

The much-anticipated 'duel' between the NY40s "Rowdy" and "Chinook," both designed by Herreshoff and launched in 1916, ended with a victory for the latter, owned by Paolo Zanoni, whose crew adapted better to the light wind conditions and finished nearly 5 minutes ahead of its rival, a significant margin considering both boats are almost equal in real-time racing. Although both boats have competed in numerous editions of the Copa del Rey Repsol, this was the first time they competed in the same category, after "Rowdy's" owner, Donna Dyer, decided to restore its original sail configuration, replacing its Bermuda sail with a crab-claw sail. "Chinook" demonstrated greater expertise in handling the complex trapezoidal rig.

"Comet," a 1949 Olin Stephens helmed by Marc Marciano, winner of the 2023 Copa del Rey Repsol, leads the overall standings in the Bermudian Epoch class ahead of "Sonata" (1929), the John Alden-designed yacht restored over a decade ago by Jordi Cabau in Mallorca. Both boats sailed well, adapting to the challenging conditions of the race, and are the yachts to beat, with "Varuna" (Sparkman & Stephens, 1939), helmed by Jehs Kellinhuseen, crossing the line just seconds behind the leader but relegated to third place after time compensations.

"Argos," owned by Barbara Trilling, a Holman & Pie design built at the Carabela shipyards, is on course for its seventh consecutive victory in the Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época in the Classics category, which includes boats launched between 1950 and 1975. Led by Spanish skipper Eduardo Méndez, the crew gained four minutes in corrected time over the second-placed "Crivizza" (1966), by Alan Buchanan, and seven minutes over the third-placed "Ojalá II" (1973), helmed by Susan Carol Holland, once again demonstrating their mastery of Mahón's racing waters even under the most complex conditions. "Argos" is also coming off a victory at the Illes Balears Clàssics at Club de Mar.

In the Spirit of Tradition, "Calima" (1970), helmed by Pachi Rivero, one of the great references of Spanish ocean sailing, is also looking to add to its legend at the Copa del Rey Repsol del Marítimo de Mahón, a regatta it has won no less than 14 times. It won the first race by just over three and a half minutes over "Happy Forever," owned and skippered by Christian Oldendorff, who was the fastest in real time. The third provisional place went to "Legolas," helmed by Jens Ricke.