XXI Copa del Rey of Vintage Yachts at Club Maritimo de Mahon - Overall
by Vela Clásica de Menorca / Jose Luís Miró 30 Aug 18:25 BST
26-30 August 2025
Spartan (1913) in Gaff Rig; Amorita (1935) in Bermudan Rig; Argos (1964) in Classics; Mariska (1908) in Big Boats; and Barlovento-Senda Azul (1975) in Spirit of Tradition are the winners of the 21st Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época, held in the waters of Menorca and organized by the Club Marítimo de Mahón since 27 August. The event consisted of three valid races—after the first day was cancelled due to lack of wind—and brought together 49 yachts from 11 countries, ranging from mid-19th century to late 20th century designs.
The most dramatic moment of the week, and the one for which this edition will be remembered, came on Thursday when a sudden storm, with heavy rainfall and gusts reaching 53 knots, caught the fleet off guard. The result: two iconic casualties, Tuiga (1909), completely dismasted, and Lady Anne (1912), which suffered a broken bowsprit and spreader. That same day, however, the regatta also delivered some of its most memorable scenes, with the start line set inside Mahón harbour, next to Isla del Rey. The following two days (Friday and Saturday) saw stable southerly winds and incident-free racing. On the final day, breeze varied between 6 and 12 knots along the course to Isla del Aire, whose lighthouse is the emblem of this regatta, widely regarded as the premier vintage sailing event in the Mediterranean.
Gaff Rig (Época Cangreja)
Spartan (1913), designed by Nathanael Herreshoff as part of the NY60 series, secured its fifth title in Mahón (after victories in 2016, 2022, 2023 and 2024). Its superior length and sail area gave it a clear advantage over its long-standing rivals Rowdy (1916) and Chinook (1916). The latter two engaged in another close duel, ultimately won by Rowdy following a thorough refit over the winter.
Bermudan Rig (Época Bermudiana)
Victory in this division went to Amorita (1935), a sloop designed by Nicholas S. Potter and skippered by Claudio Meali. It was her first triumph at the Copa del Rey Repsol, achieved convincingly with two wins and a second place. Santana (1930), owned by Wendy Schmidt, had to settle for runner-up after finishing fourth in the final race. Baruna (1938), skippered by Tony Morse, climbed to third overall by winning the last race.
Classics
The supremacy of Argos (1964), a Holman & Pye design owned by Bárbara Trilling, continues in the Classics division. No boat has managed to beat it since 2018, and this year it again proved untouchable against Albacore (1966), owned by Luis Figueiredo, and Star Shaphire of London (1957), owned by Jakob Glatz, who completed the podium. With this tenth victory in Mahón, Argos now sets its sights on surpassing the 14 titles of the legendary Calima, the most decorated yacht in the history of the event.
Big Boats
In the Big Boats category, the withdrawals of Tuiga and Lady Anne defined the competition. Lady Anne, last year’s champion, was unable to defend her crown. Left without real rivals, Mariska (1908) sailed uncontested against Cariad (1896), a vessel of a very different configuration, designed more to impress with its splendour than to compete with the FI15 “Formula 1” of classic sailing.
Spirit of Tradition
The tightest battle came in the Spirit of Tradition division, where Barlovento-Senda Azul (1975), owned by Domingo de Torres and with local sailor Fernando Rita on board, clinched victory in the final race to reclaim the lead. After a nail-biting finish, it won the title by a single point over Flight of Durgan (2007), by Stuart & Grylls, which started the day as provisional leader. Happy Forever (2008), by Christian Oldendorff, completed the podium just two points behind the winner.
Quotes
Bárbara Trilling, owner of Argos:
“It has been a wonderful Copa del Rey. The club treated us exceptionally well, and we enjoyed both the competition and the beauty of Mahón harbour. I can’t believe this is our tenth victory—it’s incredible. We’re going to celebrate in style tonight: I’ll be closing down Latitud 40 with my whole crew.”
Jorge Haenelt, tactician on Barlovento-Senda Azul:
“We came into the final day with a three-way tie, knowing that whoever finished ahead would win. These are very tough races. Our rivals are powerful and need to put a lot of time on us. We sail on the edge, trying to ensure that gap isn’t too great. Today we managed it, we finished first on corrected time and that gave us the Copa del Rey—an objective we’ve been chasing for a long time. We’re thrilled. Tomorrow we set sail for Málaga, but tonight we’ll celebrate properly.”
SailingShots by María Muiña have been capturing every day of the Classic Sailing in Menorca, and here we share some of the best images from her gallery.