Super reliable breezes refresh the perfect 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE recipe
by Copa del Rey MAPFRE 30 Jul 2024 20:32 BST
27 July - 3 August 2024
The ever reliable Bay of Palma winds came in on cue to deliver the perfect opening races at the 42nd edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE, the jewel in the crown of Mediterranean regattas.
The curtain raiser saw a gentle, shifty 8-9kts breeze which tested the afterguard skills on the 79 boats across the six classes which raced today.
As the summer thermal effects came in stronger for the second race teamwork was challenged more in the sparkling conditions. And of course the steady 15kts, proved a sporty reminder of Copa de Rey's ever popular recipe: sunshine, seabreezes, close racing and a great atmosphere before and after racing at the Real Club Náutico de Palma.
For all that they thought they knew what the winning strategy was expected to be, the Copa del Rey champions of the ClubSwan 50 class, Hatari were not able to execute in the first race. After starting well and going left Marcus Brennecke's German flagged team found themselves locked out and unable to get to the right of the first upwind, so missing a key windshift. Their German rivals, Hendrik Brandis' EarlyBird were better positioned to benefit and there move right proved the race winner.
Close all the way, EarlyBird leads
But making no mistakes on the second heat, with Markus Wieser calling tactics, Hatari led the red hulled EarlyBird all the way round the second windward leeward to ensure Brandis team, winners here in 2018, top the class leaderboard after Day 1. Brandis has British former 470 world champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis leading the EarlyBird afterguard and - like all six of the other ClubSwan 50 teams here - hopes that a win here would be a great boost ahead of the ClubSwan 50 World Championships due to be hosted by the RCNP in September.
Owner-helm Brandis enthused, "We have made a good start to the regatta with a first and a second. The first race was a fight for the pin end of the line and we stayed out of a bit and were a bit defensive but we had a free lane and got to the right when the wind went right and that was the race winner. The second race was a similar pattern, we went right first and this time we were bow to bow (with Hatari) and we were literally bow to bow all the way round, it was that close. We were fighting all the way round. It was tight and nice racing. The first race averaged 9 kts and the second race 12kts. Our season has been good so far, it is already better than last year, we had a second in the first event, third in the second event and here at the third regatta we are out to win."
King takes first blood
The King of Spain, Felipe VI, and the crew of the Spanish Navy's TP52 Aifos, started with a victory in the six strong Watches of Switzerland ORC Class 0 which includes four TP52s. But Spanish rival Javier Banderas sailing Teatro Soho Altavista which is new to them and was previously a Bribon which would have been sailed at previous Copa del Reys by Felipe's father - won the second race and after being second to Aifos in the first race leads the premier ORC big boat division.
Luis Doreste, double Olympic gold medal winning tactician at Teatro del Soho Altavista, "This will be no cakewalk, don't be mistaken, this class has a very high level this year. But today we had the good fortune (or skill) to be in the right place on the race course, and that made things a lot easier for us. We still have to get to grips with some details of the (new) boat, and I particularly feel more comfortable on this boat in strong winds than in light winds."
Locked in
It is tied at the top after two races for the ClubSwan 42 class. Pez de Abril, winners in 2017 and 2018 and runners up to Nadir last year, lead the points table but only on countback to the Rome based Italian team on Canopo. Pez de Abril have a new tactician this year in well known Spanish round the world racer Antonio 'Talpi' Piris. He recalled, "The first race we were in the middle of the pack and should have been aiming for third and then there was a big shift on the last run and we lost a place on the downwind leg for fourth. The first race was very shifty but good fun about 10 knots, there was good wind in the second race - about 15kts - and we made a good start. We split on the downwind and we were able to lee bow and then led at the leeward and that was it."
In Odilo ORC 1 class, the biggest at the regatta it is the well sailed Estonian ClubSwan 42 Katarina, steered by Italian 2000 Olympian Lorenzo Bodino which leads courtesy of their 1.3 today.
Racing starts tomorrow (Tuesday) for the Sandberg J/70 class and the Women's Cup. All the ORC classes race a coastal race Wednesday.
The 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE is organised by the RCNP by delegation of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV), with the sponsorship of MAPFRE, the institutional sponsorship of the Government of the Balearic Islands and the Palma City Council, with the collaboration of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands and the Balearic Sailing Federation.
Find out more at www.regatacopadelrey.com