Excitement and Spectacle Guaranteed in the Revamped Altavista ORC 2 Class of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE

The regulatory changes announced last year, immediately after the conclusion of the 41st edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE, in preparation for the 2025 European Championship, have led to an entirely new lineup of favorites for the podium in the Altavista ORC 2 class. This is due to two reasons: first, the faster boats from this class in 2023 have now moved to Odilo ORC 1, and second, the faster boats from ORC 3 have now integrated into Altavista ORC 2.

Race director Manu Fraga discussed the new regulations: “The changes have opened up the podium to a greater variety of teams, creating a much more competitive and unpredictable scenario.” Regarding the new class configuration, Fraga commented, “The inclusion of boats from the ORC 3 class has resulted in a more homogeneous fleet in terms of speed, which will undoubtedly lead to tighter and more exciting races,” and concluded by stating, “It’s fantastic to see so many teams from different countries competing together, demonstrating the great prestige of the regatta on a global level.”

In this setting, the top-ranked boat from 2023 returning to the same class this year is “Modul.” It will likely compete from the front against the powerful fleet coming from last season's ORC 3 class, where 37 and 40-foot boats like the “Tanit IV” of Maria José Valero with Ignacio Campos at the helm, which secured third place last season with the GS37, take center stage.

Another notable contender is “L’Immens – Laplaza” with the Sinergia 40, aiming to redeem itself after an accident on the final day of 2023 prevented it from claiming the runner-up position. “This year, we’re in a class where we are no longer the fastest,” confirmed Carles Rodríguez, helmsman of the Masnou boat, adding, “We will likely be among the slower boats, and in the Copa, it has always been advantageous to be the fastest and choose the side for the first upwind leg.”

Aware of the new situation within the fleet, Rodríguez remained optimistic: “We love challenges, and the changes we’ve made to the boat this year are exciting. We’re approaching with high hopes and the boat as optimized as possible, so who knows?”

The Italian boat “Guardamago” (formerly “Scugniza”), which was unbeatable in 2023 with first places in all ORC 3 races, is also returning as a favorite this year. However, unlike last year, it will no longer be among the fastest in this class, facing more traffic on the racecourse. Another Italo/Argentinean unit, the “Geex” of Angelo Lobinu and Lucas Massa, will also compete.

In total, nearly twenty teams from seven countries will participate in a very renewed class, with attention focused on the first days of the regatta to see how this new class formation, with more homogeneous speed boats, positions itself under conditions very different from last season.