The Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época enters its final stretch

The Mahón regatta field offered its best version for the third day of the Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época.

After the cancellation of the first day of competition and the light breeze on the second day that barely allowed for a 6.5 nautical mile course, Aeolus was generous to the fleet of 43 historic vessels fighting these days in Menorca for the most coveted trophy in Spanish classic sailing.

All starts occurred on schedule, the northeast breeze never dropped below 8 knots—with some gusts of 12 in the southern stretch—and the finish line was set inside the port of Mahón, with Isla del Rey and the La Mola fortress as a backdrop. "It was almost a perfect day," said Nacho Marra, director of the Club Marítimo de Mahón and the Copa del Rey Repsol.

The day left spectacular scenes in all classes, particularly in the Época Cangreja category, where the duel between the twin "Rowdy" and "Chinook," both designed by Herreshoff and launched in 1916, provided truly vibrant moments. The two boats sailed evenly throughout the 19.2 nautical mile course and crossed the finish line just 23 seconds apart. Many witnesses to the 'fight' thought "Rowdy," with its newly fitted crab rig, had won the race since it was the 'winner' in real time, but time compensation gave its opponent a three-minute and twenty-five-second lead. Although they seem identical, there are notable differences in their configurations. "Chinook" is the virtual winner of the 20th Copa del Rey Repsol, with two first places in as many races.

The competition in the Big Boat class, which for the first time in history gathered seven vessels over 24 meters in length, consisted of another day showcasing the three F15s designed by William Fife, speedsters conceived to devour miles at the beginning of the 20th century that today, more than a century later, retain all their performance and beauty. Gonzalo Botín and his crew on "The Lady Anne" (1912) added another partial victory and tomorrow could—if they choose—simply mark their adversaries: "Mariska" (1908) and "Tuiga" (1909). Among the rest of the giants gathered in Mahón, the "Viveka" (1929), winner in 2022 and today a candidate for fourth place, stood out as a privileged witness to the dance staged by the F15s.

"Comet" (Sparkman & Stephens, 1946) is on course for what could be its second consecutive victory in the Copa del Rey Repsol tomorrow. The crew led by Marc Marciano sailed again at a very high level and decisively beat their two main rivals, "Sonata" (1937), owned by Jordi Cabau, and "Varuna" (1939), helmed by Jens Kellinghusen. The leader obtained a comfortable four-minute lead in adjusted time over the second-placed and will merely need to control its rivals in the final day to secure the win.

What can be said about "Argos"? The last time it didn't win a race dates back to time immemorial. The crew led by Bárbara Trilling has been victorious in the last six editions of the Copa del Rey Repsol and it's a safe bet they will do so for the seventh time. Is this a boat and team invincible? Judging by their most recent track record, there is no doubt. If we delve into the details of each race, likewise. This time they pulled eleven minutes ahead of the second-place "Crivizza," a beautiful design by Alan Buchanan from 66, and seventeen ahead of the third-place "Clarionet," a Sparkman & Stephens from the same year. In the "Argos," two decisive factors come together: a boat that defends its rating well and a crew that sails it superbly, even though today they really started poorly. No success so prolonged can be attributed to chance.

With the Copa decided in the other classes, "Happy Forever," owned by Christian Oldendorff, and "Calima" have decided to keep the excitement up to the last tack in the Spirit of Tradition. Both boats enter tomorrow's final assault tied at three points. Whoever wins the final race will lift the Copa del Rey Repsol. "Calima" (1970), helmed by Pachi Rivero, has done so on fourteen occasions. Or in other words: it has only lost five times since the Club Marítimo de Mahón started this competition in 2003. These are boats with very different speeds that barely coincide on the start line, but today it was evident that "Happy Forever," much faster in real time, can also win on corrected time under normal conditions, with medium winds and over a distance of 20 miles. "Legolas" (1996) remains vigilant in third place.