The Copa del Rey MAPFRE Ready to Make History in Its 43rd Edition
by Copa del Rey MAPFRE 28 Jul 17:38 BST
26 July - 2 August 2025
43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE © Nico Martínez / Copa del Rey MAPFRE
Everything is ready at Mallorca's Real Club Náutico de Palma to begin the competition program for the 43 Copa del Rey MAPFRE tomorrow, Tuesday.
This exceptional edition will bring together over 130 teams from 24 countries and will serve as the 2025 ORC European Championship. HM King Felipe VI will compete aboard Aifos for the European title in the ABANCA ORC 0 category.
Since its inception in 1982, the Copa del Rey MAPFRE has continually evolved, establishing itself as a leading monohull regatta in the Mediterranean. In its 43rd edition, the event organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) will write another brilliant chapter in its history, adding new elements to its sporting and social programs, bringing back features such as coastal races, and for the first time, putting the ORC European title on the line.
Through next Saturday, August 2nd, more than 130 teams from 24 nations will compete for glory across five categories: four ORC divisions and the women's Balearia Women's Cup. All were called today in the Bay of Palma for the traditional official practice race before the scoring begins tomorrow. The reliable Balearic racecourse presented unusual conditions with a lack of breeze, which prevented the planned program from being completed, but still gave a taste of the sheer spectacle to come during the week.
As he did the previous day, King Felipe VI once again boarded Aifos today for final training in the regatta area. After the session, the Spanish Navy's TP52 returned to the RCNP docks, where the King was welcomed by club president Rafael Gil.
ORC European Championship
For the first time in its four-decade history, the Copa del Rey MAPFRE will award the ORC European title. The 2025 ORC European Championship brings nearly 120 boats to the RCNP docks, spread across four divisions: ABANCA ORC 0, Sail Racing ORC A, Ubico ORC B, and Uber ORC C.
The ABANCA ORC 0 class will feature the most powerful boats in this edition, an impressive fleet including a dozen fast TP52s such as Teatro del Soho San Miguel helmed by Javier Banderas and Aifos steered by King Felipe VI — champion and runner-up of the category, respectively, in 2024. King Felipe has used the days leading up to the event to train with his crew in the Bay of Palma, eyeing his first European title.
The Sail Racing ORC A division hosts the most international fleet of the edition: 34 teams from 16 nations, including boats from Montenegro, China, Poland, and Luxembourg. Among the title contenders are Pez de Abril (José María Meseguer) and Nadir (Pedro Vaquer), reigning world champion and runner-up in the ClubSwan 42 class; Elena Nova (Christian Plump), winner of the 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE; and Estrella Damm, co-owned by Rolf Auf der Maur and Ignacio Montes — the most decorated team in the history of the event.
Ubico ORC B will see 34 boats from 11 countries, including the entire podium from last year's Copa del Rey MAPFRE: Katara (Argentine Julián Somodi), Guardamago (Italian Massimo Romeo Piparo), and L'Immens (Augusto Cortina).
Finally, the Uber ORC C division will feature 32 boats from seven countries, including the overall 2024 Copa del Rey MAPFRE champion and recent winner of the Trofeo S.M. La Reina, Fala Pouco, a Dufour 40DK skippered by Andrés Manresa.
The competition program for the four ORC categories includes up to eight scoring races between Tuesday and Saturday.
Coastal Races Return
This edition adopts the European regulations, and as a result, the Notice of Race stipulates that two of the eight scheduled ORC races will be coastal format, with a duration of 10 to 12 hours for the slowest boat in each class. The route of each race will be determined based on conditions but will always start and finish in the Bay of Palma, running along parts of the Mallorcan coastline.
Balearia Women's Cup
The Women's Cup category will feature a fleet of 15 identical BluSail 24 boats. The format will be a Round Robin, with all teams racing each other in six-boat heats, ensuring every team faces every rival by the end of the qualifying series. The top six will advance to a three-race Medal Series, which will decide the winners of the 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE 2025.
From Tuesday to Saturday
The competition kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, for all ORC classes, with racing scheduled from 12:00 p.m. The Balearia Women's Cup will start on Wednesday, July 30. All classes will compete through Saturday, when the 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE winners and the 2025 ORC European Champions will be crowned.
On Shore
Alongside the sporting program, the 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE features a lively social agenda, which began with the official presentation on Saturday in the RCNP's Sala Magna. From today through Saturday, the club offers a full schedule of activities for participants, sponsors, and guests — from pre-race brunches and breakfasts to evening concerts, DJ sessions, and tastings.
Key events include today's Owners' Cocktail at Hotel Castillo Son Vida, the traditional White Party Cocktail on Thursday at the RCNP, and Saturday's prize-giving ceremony at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina.