The 42nd Edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE Sets Sail

The official training day kicked off the sports program of the 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE, which will turn Palma Bay into the epicenter of international cruising sailing until next Saturday, August 3rd. King Felipe VI sailed aboard the Spanish Navy's Aifos, aiming to improve on last year's second-place finish.

More than 120 teams from 23 countries will compete in the 42nd edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE. At the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) docks, a multicultural mix of professional and amateur crews are making final preparations to sail under flags from Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Spain, the United States, Estonia, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Peru, Romania, Switzerland, and Turkey.

This year, the fleet is divided into eight classes. Four classes will sail in real-time (ClubSwan 50, ClubSwan 42, Sandberg Estates J70, and Women’s Cup Class) and four in compensated time (Watches of Switzerland ORC 0, Odilo ORC 1, Altavista ORC 2, and Balearia ORC 3). All will compete starting Tuesday, July 30, except the J70s and the women's class, which will begin their races on Wednesday.

Defending champions include Marcus Brennecke's Hatari in ClubSwan 50, Pedro Vaquer's Nadir in ClubSwan 42, Christian Plump's Elena Nova in Odilo ORC 1, María Bover's Team RCNP Balearia in Women’s Cup Class, and Luis Albert Solana's Patakín in Sandberg Estates J70. The 2023 ORC 2 champion, Teatro Soho – Altavista Global Group, led by Javier Banderas and Toni Guiú, moves to the Watches of Switzerland ORC 0 class this year, competing with a TP52.

The sports program began yesterday, Monday, July 29, with the official training day, a non-scoring event that allowed participants and organizers to review systems and familiarize themselves with the racecourse. The breeze started softly, around 6-7 knots, but allowed the first images of the fleet lined up in front of the starting line in Palma Bay.

King Felipe VI will compete again as the helmsman of the Spanish Navy's Aifos. After achieving his first podium finish in 2023 as the runner-up in the highly competitive ORC 1 class, this year he will sail in the Watches of Switzerland ORC 0 category. King Felipe began practicing in Palma Bay on Sunday and participated in the official training regatta yesterday.

The 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE will consist of five days of racing. All classes, except the Women’s Cup Class, will compete in a Preliminary Series of up to six races from Tuesday to Thursday and a Final Series of four races (six for the J70s), with a 1.5 coefficient and no discards, on Friday and Saturday. As a new feature, teams will enter the Final Series with the same number of points they finished the Preliminary Series with. All races will follow a windward-leeward format, and the four ORC divisions will also compete in a coastal race between 15 and 40 miles. The first warning signal each day is scheduled for 12:00 PM, and no warning signals will be given after 3:45 PM on Saturday.

The Women’s Cup class includes exciting new features and the largest fleet since it was introduced to the Copa del Rey MAPFRE in 2019: 14 teams. For the first time, they will compete in Blusail 24 one-design boats provided by the Real Club Náutico de Palma in an initiative to reduce costs and ensure maximum equality. They will also debut a Round Robin competition format, where all teams will face each other in rotating six-boat races. The top six will compete for the title in a final Medal Race on August 3rd.

The social program began on Sunday and is already in full swing. As is tradition, it will include daily plans of music and gastronomy for participants and guests at the RCNP. Highlights include the Owners' Dinner on Monday at Hotel Son Vida castle, the White Cocktail by MAPFRE on Thursday on the RCNP terraces, and the trophy ceremony presided over by King Felipe VI on Saturday at Ses Voltes, at the foot of the Mallorca Cathedral.