'Palibex-Elena Nova', 'Teatro Soho CaixaBank', 'Just The Job', 'Hatari', 'Nadir' and 'Team RCNP Balearia' win their respective classes in Palma

PALMA, Aug 5 (by EUROPA PRESS special correspondent, Andrea García Acuña) -

The 'Scugnizza', on corrected time, and the 'Patakín', on real time, have been proclaimed overall champions of the 41st edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE sailing race, which ended this Saturday in the bay of Palma after the sixth day of competition. Meanwhile, the 'Aifos', skippered by King Felipe VI, finished second in the Majorica ORC1 class, the best position achieved by the monarch in the regatta that honours him.

He had never reached the podium of the Copa Don Felipe, with two fourth places in 2021, as king and also with the Spanish Navy boat, and in 2008, still as a prince and aboard his friend Fernando León's 'CAM', as his best results.

This Saturday, with a second and a fourth place in the two races held, the boat of Admiral Jaime Rodríguez Toubes moved up one place to finish the regatta in second place, 13 points behind the winner of the class, the 'Palibex-Elena Nova'. For now, the current monarch is still not emulating his father, King Juan Carlos I, who won the title on five occasions.

The instability of the wind delayed the day a bit in the bay, where the eight classes faced the battle for the title. In the first of the classes on corrected time, the Majorica ORC1, the 'Palibex-Elena Nova' confirmed its final victory after winning both races, the first one ahead of Felipe VI's 'Aifos'.

The Navy boat, with the monarch at the helm, finished second in the first race and fourth in the second, allowing it to move up one place from Friday. Francesco Bertone's 'Lisa R', who also achieved a fourth and a second, climbed to third place at the expense of 'From Now On'.

Undoubtedly, one of the great protagonists of the day in the Balearic capital has been Javier Banderas' 'Teatro Soho CaixaBank', who retained the title won in 2021 and 2022 by finishing the regatta undefeated. Two more victories this Saturday allowed him to finish the final series - after winning all the races in the previous series - with a flawless score of six points, thirteen more than his nearest pursuers.

The 'Seabery Dralion' skippered by Basilio Marquínez confirmed his second place overall in the class with a second and a seventh place, finishing with the same points (19) as Pedro Gil's 'Maverta'.

In the Majorica ORC3 class, bad luck hit the previous leader, Carles Rodríguez's 'Laplaza Assessors', who collided with the 'Yellow Rose' in the racecourse located in the centre of the bay during the first race of the day, won by Vicenzo de Blasio's 'Scugnizza', who managed to defend his crown and also won the overall title in the corrected time classes. With two first places, the Italian boat tops a podium completed by Jorge Martínez Doreste's 'Concesur 50 Años' and Ignacio Campos' 'Tanit IV-Medilevel'.

In the Majorica ORC4 class, Scott Beattie's 'Just The Job' retained the lead and took the title, all in a day where Gonzalo Calvo's 'Lassal' won both races to secure the 'silver'. Arturo Montes' 'Ybarra-Befesa', with a fourth and a third, climbed up to the final podium.

Among the ClubSwan 50 one-design class, Marcus Brennecke's 'Hatari' repeated as champion thanks to two second places in the two races held. The German boat 'Niramo' - with a fourth and a fifth - and Andrea Lacorte's 'Vitamina' - with a first and a seventh - defended their positions and finished second and third, respectively.

There were no surprises in the ClubSwan 42 class either, where Pedro Vaquer's 'Nadir', who arrived as the leader on the final day, with a victory and a third place, will once again lift the trophy as in 2022. José María Meseguer's 'Pez de Abril', who won the title in 2017 and 2018, finished the regatta second by six points, just ahead of the Italian 'Koyré-Spirit of Nerina'.

The 'Patakín' skippered by Luis Albert Solana did not leave room for surprises and became the new champion of the Herbalife J70 class, as well as the overall winner among the classes competing on real time. The boat from the Real Club Náutico de Palma achieved a first and a second place and finished five points ahead of Luis Bugallo's 'Usana-Les Roches' in the final standings. Mon Cañellas' 'Hang Ten', the current Spanish champion and winner of the second race of the day, took third place.

In the Mallorca Sotheby's Women's Cup class - where the J80 one-design boats compete - María Bover's 'Team RCNP Balearia' made the most of their two second places on Saturday to take the lead in the overall standings and retain the title, ahead of Nuria Sánchez and Olympic sailor Natalia Vía-Dufresne's 'Dorsia Covirán' - with two fourth places - and the 'Etnia Barcelona-Zona Norte' secured third place.

The 41st edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV), with the sponsorship of MAPFRE and the institutional collaboration of the Balearic Islands Government, the City Council of Palma, the Port Authority of Balearic Islands and the Balearic Islands Sailing Federation.