The national classic sailing will meet in Mahón in the Copa del Rey Repsol

The most important regatta of classic and vintage boats in Spain repeats as a member of the exclusive circuit The Mediterranean Champions Cup. It will have an extra day of competition and will bring together fifty sailboats.

The Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época will once again bring together the best fleet of classics in the Mediterranean. The regatta organized by the Club Marítimo de Mahón will host in its nineteenth edition more than fifty boats and will be the reference meeting of classic sailing in Spain and one of the most important in the European circuit.

The regatta will be held in the waters of Menorca between August 29th and September 2nd, on its traditional dates. For the first time in history, it will consist of four days of competition, one more than in previous editions. This change is due to the express wish of the owners of the participating boats, to whom the stay in Mahón "was too short", according to Nacho Marra, director of the Club Marítimo and the Copa del Rey Repsol.

"Last year we were asked to extend the regatta by one more day, since many boats come from outside Spain and make long crossings to be here. They told us that, if we introduced a new day of competition, it would compensate them more for the trip, and so we have done so," explains Marra, aware that this change means a greater effort for the organization at all levels, but it is good for the Copa del Rey: "If the owners are comfortable, the regatta is working. In addition, we contribute to improve the economic impact that we generate in the port of Mahón".

The figures, with a month and a half to go before the start of the Copa del Rey Repsol, point to a spectacular edition. "It is not often that at this stage we already have more than 40 boats pre-registered, which, with the logical caution, leads us to believe that we will be over fifty. In any case, beyond the quantity, the Copa del Rey is characterized by the quality of its fleet. We have legendary sailboats in all classes, from 22 countries, many of them more than a century old", says Nacho Marra.

The boats "Viveka" (1929), "Spartan" (1913), "Varuna" (1939) and "Calima" (1970) will defend the title obtained in the 2022 edition. Other outstanding units registered are the "Hallowe'en" (1926), "Mariska" (1908), the "Fjord III" (1947) and the "Galvana" (1974).

The Copa del Rey is part, for the second year, of The Mediterranean Champions Cup circuit along with Les Régates Royales, Vele d'Epoca di Imperia, Argentario Sailing Week and Les Voiles d'Antibes. As in most of these events, the fleet is divided into five categories, according to the rules of the International Mediterranean Committee. Boats built before 1950 are considered Vintage and grouped according to whether their rig is trapezoidal or triangular. From that date until the end of the 1970s, the boats fell into the Classic division. The Spirit of Tradition and the Big Boats, large sailboats, complete the fleet.