Desafio's day

An update from Copa del Rey

Without any doubt, the fifth day of the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre was Desafío’s one. After a poor start in what is the showcase Spanish event, the green team showed excellent consistency in both the TP52 and GP42 classes and is now leading the score table. Wind conditions were not as spectacular as yesterday but the southerly breeze, between 9 and 11 knots, allowed all classes to sail at least two races.

The TP52s was the first class the Spanish dominated. In the first race the leaders performed very poorly. Bribón finished sixth and Platoon seventh, giving Terry Hutchinson the chance to lead Desafío to victory, followed by Caixa Galicia and Matador. The second race was led from the start by Mutua Madrileña. Vasco Vascotto’s boat was followed by TAU Andalucia and ONO but the real disappointment was again Platoon and Bribón, 9th and 10th respectively. With a 4th, Desafío grabbed overall leadership and Jochen Schuemann and Dean Barker will have to outperform Terry Hutchinson on the closing day of the event.



The GP42 class was also upset by Desafío. In the first race they sailed perfectly and Laureano Wizner helmed to a comfortable victory with a 1-minute advantage over Roma GP42.2 and Near Miss that made an incredible recovery after crossing the starting line early. The second race was a tough battle between Roma GP42.2 and Desafío, but Paolo Cian’s boat prevailed. Third place was for Canarias Puerto Calero. With just one point lead over Near Miss the battle for the Copa del Rey will be ferrocious between the GP42s.

On the eve of the prize-giving ceremony, Aifos, the former TP52 yacht, are sure they will be crowned kings in the IRC 1 class. With nine bullets in nine races, they are mathematically first. Sir Peter Ogden’s Spirit of Jethou and Philip Mecklenburg’s Moana continue second and third overall, respectively, and will most probably finish the regatta in that order.

Tony Buckingham’s Ngoni is the second boat of the 113-fleet at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre certain to be crowned king of the IRC 2 class. Give me five is second while Jesus Turrós’ Sercotel Hotels remains 3rd.

Danilo Salsi’s DSK-Comifin regained leadership in the Swan 45 class, in a very consistent day (two 1sts and a 2nd). No Limits-Bolidt, owned by RW Bol, paid the price of a 14th place in the day’s last race while Diederich’s and Gordon’s Fever returns to third place. With Codecasa’s and Battistela’s Jeroboam Ca’Nova and Tea Ekengren-Sauren’s Blue Nights one and two points, respectively, further down the table, the fight for third place promises to be tough.

In the X-35 class Thorckild Juncker’s Cool Runnings is the leader and it seems she’s on her way to winning the Copa del Rey. Nic Bol’s Quantum Racing climbed one position more to 2nd overall and Carlo Brenco’s Tixelio remains third.

In the ORC 670 class Jesús Pintos’ Navantia remains on top and Vell Marí, the best-performing locals in this regatta, are second overall, but their leadership may be far from guaranteed tomorrow. Daniele Augusti’s Cometal-Ferrobeton was less consistent than the Mallorcans and slipped to 3rd overall..

In the ORC 570 class, Icaro, owned by Carles Rodríguez, is still the overall but second position is now held by Eiken Alber’s Minnic, thanks to a 15-point discard, one point ahead of Gustavo Martínez Doreste’s Hempel-Power Plate.


Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre – Provisional standings

TP 52 (1 discard)
1. Desafío, Terry Hutchinson, 4-7-3-1-3-4-1-4, 20 points
2. Bribón, Dean Barker, 5-1-4-4-1-1-6-10, 22 points
3. Platoon, Jochen Schuemann, 1-3-1-6-2-2-7-9, 22 points
4. Mutua Madrileña, Vasco Vascotto, 2-8-2-2-4-6-8-1, 25 points
5. Matador, Alberto Roemmers, 3-4-7-8-5-3-3-6, 31 points

GP 42 (1 discard)
1. Desafío, Laureano Wizner, 2-2-5-6-5-2-2-1-1-2, 22 points
2. Near Miss, Bertrand Pacé, 6-1-1-1-1-6-3-3-3-4, 23 points
3. Roma GP42.2, Paolo Cian, 4-5-3-5-6-3-1-4-2-1, 28 points
4. AIRIS, Sandro Montefusco, 1-7-2-7-2-1-4-2-4-6, 29 points
5. Caser Quum, Sergio Llorca, 3-6-7-4-4-4-6-5-5-5, 42 points

IRC 1 (1 discard)
1 Aifos, Jaime Rodríguez Toubes, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1, 8 points
2 Spirit of Jethou, Sir Peter Ogden, 2-3-3-2-2-2-2-3-3, 19 points
3 Moana, Philippe Mecklenburg, 3-2-7-3-3-4-4-5-5, 29 points
4 CAM, SAR Felipe de Borbón, 4-4-4-6-7-5-3-6-2, 34 points
5 Aegir, Benjamin Brian, 6-8-8-4-4-3-5-4-11, 42 points

IRC 2 (1 discard)
1. Ngoni, Tony Buckingham, 5-1-5-1-1-1-2-1-2, 14 points
2. Give me five, Arya Yatchs Venezia, 2-2-1-5-2-5-5-4-3, 24 points
3. Sercotel Hotels, Román Turró, 4-3-4-4-3-3-1-5-6, 27 points
4. Itaca IX, Manuel Gallego, 3-6-3-2-6-2-11-2-7, 31 points
5. Item Power Sport, Sebastian López, 6-4-9-3-4-4-3-3-4, 33 points

ORC 570 (1 discard)
1. Ícaro, Carles Rodríguez, 1-8-2-1-1-6-1-3-6, 21 points
2. Minnic, Eiken Albers, 15-2-10-2-2-2-2-1-5, 26 points
3. Hempel-Power Plate, Gustavo Martínez Doreste, 2-6-3-3-5-3-5-2-4, 27 points
4. I.NOVA, Giancarlo Simeoli, 8-7-4-4-4-5-6-4-1, 35 points
5. Luso-Roux, Jose Manuel Mesquita, 3-4-5-15-3-7-3-7-3, 35 points

ORC 670 (1 discard)
1. Navantia, Jesús Pintos, 2-2-1-7-2-1-1-4-7, 20 points
2. Vell Marí, Teo Matheu, 1-7-4-1-5-2-3, 25 points
3. Cometal-Ferrobeton, Daniele Augusti, 2-1-2-2-11-8-2-1-6, 28 points
4. Aquasonic, Daniel Maestre, 4-8-8-3-12-3-5-6-3, 40 points
5. Vertigo Dos, Antonio Guasch, 5-5-10-10-1-9-16-2-1, 32 points

X-35 (1 discard)
1. Cool Runnings, Thorkild Juncker, 1-3-4-1-2-6-1-4-3-5-6, 30 points
2. Quantum Racing, Nic Bol, 2-2-19-5-5-7-2-2-1-9-4, 39 points
3. Tixelio, 11-7-26-8-3-2-5-1-5-4-2, 48 points
4. X-Trifix, Stefano Trifiro, 9-1-3-7-4-4-6-10-17-2-7, 53 points
5. Just 4 Fun, Albert Kooijman, 3-12-11-4-9-5-8-6-2-11-3, 62 points

Swan 45 (1 discard)
1. DSK-Comifin, Danilo Salsi, 2-5-5-5-5-1-11-1-1-1-2, 28 points
2. No Limits-Bolidt, RW BOL, 9-6-4-2-2-2-2-3-4-5-14, 39 points
3. Fever, Diederichs / Gordon, 4-14-2-1-10-4-7-4-12-2-8, 54 points
4. Jeroboam Ca’Nova, Codecasa / Battistella, 5-2-3-4-4-12-4-8-6-13-7, 55 points
5. Blue Nights, Tea Ekengren-Sauren, 1-4-6-17-3-5-5-7-10-6-9, 56 points

Read more about the GP42s on page 2...