Two perfect scores are the outstanding performances at the 41st Copa del Rey MAPFRE

August 5, 2023 - Palma, Mallorca - The 41^st Copa del Rey MAPFRE finished yesterday with two exciting final races in moderate westerly breezes and sunshine. Two boats completed the Finals series with perfect scores Javier Banderas’ TEATRO DEL SOHO CAXIABANK actually won all 11 of their races in Majorica ORC 2 over the six days of racing whilst the Italian crew on Enzo de Blazio’s CA’N EDUARDO SCUGNIZZA were unbeaten during their finals series.

Overall winners of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE principal trophies are SCUGNIZZA and PATAKIN.

Majorica ORC 1 was never in doubt, dominated by Christian Plump and Javier Sanz’s Club Swan 42 PALIBEX-ELENA NOVA which won four Finals races including both of today’s two final windward-leewards, leaving King Felipe and the crew of the Spanish Navy’s TP52 AIFOS to second, the king’s first podium at the Copa del Rey as skipper-helm.

Javier Sanz, President of the Spanish Sailing Federation, said, 

“We are very happy to have won. For us, it is very important that the King takes part in this regatta, and he has participated every day. And secondly, we are delighted because he has done very well, we knew that our rival was the Aifos from the beginning, and in the end, he consolidated his good performance and finished second. It is a very old TP52 but they have done very well, they have sailed very well all week. I knew Aifos would be the enemy to beat. This time we were better."

In Majorica ORC 2, Javier Banderas' TEATRO DEL SOHO CAXIABANK was unstoppable winning all their Finals races to leave their Club Swan 42 sistership SEABERY DRALION 13 points behind in second.

Javier Banderas said: 

“We couldn't have done more. We have sailed 11 races and we have achieved 11 firsts. We sailed quite well, the last race we had to come from behind and we won by eight seconds. It has been a very beautiful and hard-fought Copa del Rey, even if it seems like it wasn't. We are very happy because we have sailed very well. I have never won the Cup with all firsts.”

The winners of Majorica ORC 3 were also able to maintain a perfect score, Enzo de Blazio’s CA’N EDUARDO SCUGNIZZA triumphed five times on the trot to win their class, as they did last year, this time by 22 points. 

Portugal’s three times Olympian and Ocean Race sailor Diogo Cayolla – three times a winner here in one design class called tactics this year, 

“The boat is quite competitive but the team is really super. It is very different to one design as you are always having to wait on the smaller boats to see how you have done, but this is a very good boat with a super good team.”

And while many of the winners were repeating past Copa del Rey successes, for Scotsman Scott Beattie – a past winner at PalmaVela – this was a first-time overall win at Copa del Rey in class Majorica ORC 4 for his crew on their J/97E JUST THE JOB which is based along the coast at Puerto Andratx. 

Scott Beattie smiled, 

“This is the first time we have won the event as normally there is no Class 4 so we are, as they say in football, ‘over the moon’….To win here you need a good boat, good sails and a great crew and we have all of these things….and you have to have a little bit of luck which we did winning on tie-break.”

(Position/Boat/Skipper/Qualifying Series/Final Series Results/Point)

Majorica ORC 1

1. Palibex-Elena Nova, Club Swan 42, Christian Plump/Javier Sanz,  b+2+1+1+1+1=7

2. Aifos, TP52, el Rey Don Felipe, 3+3+4+4+2+4=20

3. Lisa R, Ker 46, Francesco Bertone, 6+4+2+3+4+2=21

… 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, 2+2+3+3+2+7=19

3. Maverta, Rodman 42 mod, Pedro Gil, 5+4+2+2+4+2=19

… up to 15 boats.

Majorica ORC 3

1. Scugnizza Ca N´Eduardo, Italia 11.98, Enzo de Blasio, 1+1+1+1+1+1=6

2. Concesur-50 años, Salona 37, Jorge Martínez Doreste, 6+6+4+7+2+3=28

3. Tanit IV - Medilevel, G. Soleil 37 B, Ignacio Campos, 3+5+8+4+8+5=33

… up to 21 boats.

Majorica ORC 4

1. Just The Job, J 97 E, Scott Beattie, 1+1+2+1+1+2+4=12

2. Lassal, Italia 9.98, Gonzalo Calvo, 3+2+1+2+2+1+1=12

3. Ybarra-Befesa, Dufour 34, Arturo Montes, 2+5+4+4+5+4+3=27

… up to 7 boats.

Full results