Day 3 of 41st Copa del Rey MAPFRE

August 2, 2023 - Palma, Mallorca - At the 41st Copa del Rey Mapfre today the Majorica ORC classes raced an inshore coastal course of between 25 and 30 miles which saw King Felipe triumph in the showcase Majorica ORC 1 on the TP52 Aifos.

Three years on from its introduction, the format of the preliminary series followed by the final series where the points carried into the finals are those equivalent to the finishing position in the preliminary series, still has its fans and its opponents. Most can view the transition with a little humour at this midpoint of the series.

In Majorica ORC Class 1 HM King Felipe and the Spanish Navy’s TP52 Aifos crew scored their second win in a row, triumphing today on the 30 nautical miles coastal race. Aifos go into the Finals in third place. Javier Sanz and Christian Plump’s ClubSwan 42 Palibex-Elena Nova finished fifth on the coastal race and finish the Preliminary Series with a lead of only half a point ahead of their Argentine rivals on the Fernando Chain's Swan 45 From Now On. Ironically, then, their lead actually doubles to one point as they start the Finals.

Javier Sanz, past president of the RCNP said, 

"We wanted to keep that first place, to have a point for the Final Series, so we come back tonight with the objective fulfilled. Our biggest rival is the Argentinean (From Now On), the Swan 45, who have a good boat and sail very well. Today they beat us by one second after 28 miles. Not bad, eh? Tomorrow the wind conditions are going to change, with more wind and I think that favours us. We've shown that over the last few days: on Monday with more wind we won, and on Tuesday and today, with less wind, we didn't win.”

Majorica ORC 2 leaders, Javier Banderas’ defending class champions, Teatro Soho Caixabank maintained their unbeaten record when they won the coastal inshore race by nearly five minutes today. Their 21 points lead aggregated so far of course drops to a Finals lead of a single point! 

Daniel Cuevas off Teatro Soho Caixabank rumimated, 

“What we have done so far is not worth much; it doesn't matter if you finish 15 or 5 points ahead of second because now they disappear. Tomorrow, Thursday, we start sailing all over again. Personally, we don't think it's fair because consistency is not rewarded, but these are the rules of the game, we abide by them, and when we come to the Copa del Rey we know the game we are all playing. All in all, we are very satisfied, I think we have a team that is a real 'dream team' in all positions".

A substantial lead in Majorica ORC 3 is trimmed to one point too for the Italians on Scugnizza C’an Eduardo who won the Coastal Race today. It is not, however, the same in Majorica ORC class 4 where Arturo Montes – who first won here 25 years ago with his family on Estrella Damm - won again today on his Dufour 34 Ybarra-Befesa. Helm Arturo Montes lost a leg in a swimming accident in 2011 and is aiming to be the first sailor with a disability to win an ORC class at the Copa del Rey MAFRE.

Majorica ORC 1
1. Palibex-Elena Nova , Club Swan 42 - Christian Plump/Javier Sanz, 1+2+2+2+3+5=15
2. From Now On, Swan 45, Ezequiel Despontin, 3,5+1+4+1+2+4=15,5
3. Aifos, TP52 el Rey Don Felipe - 3,5+4+3+5+1+1=17,5
… up to 14 boats.

Majorica ORC 2
1. Teatro del Soho Caixabank, Club Swan 42, Daniel Cuevas, 1+1+1+1+1+1=6
2. Seabery Dralion, Club Swan 42, Basilio Marquinez, 4+4+11+2+4+2=27
3. Reve de Vie, G. Soleil 43R, Angelo Galeati, 3+2+6+4+11+3=29
… up to 15 boats.

Majorica ORC 3
1. Scugnizza Ca N´Eduardo, Italia 11.98, Enzo de Blasio, 1+1+2+1+2+1=8
2. Laplaza Assessors, Sinergia 40 Mod., Carles Rodríguez, 3+2+1+5+6+3=20
3. Tanit IV - Medilevel, G. Soleil 37 B, Ignacio Campos, 6+8+5+3+1+4=27
… up to 21 boats.

Majorica ORC 4
1. Just The Job, J 97 E, Scott Beattie, 1+1+3+3+1+3=12
2. Ybarra – Befesa, Dufour 34,  Arturo Montes, 2+3+1+2+4+1=13
3. Lassal, Italia 9.98, Gonzalo Calvo, 3+4+2+1+2+2=14
… up to 7 boats.

Full results