Big day out

Bribon, the King and Dean Barker win coastal race at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre

The Bay of Palma delivered what it usually promises at this time of the year, especially during the Med’s top sailing event, the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre: the fourth day of racing was held in excellent wind conditions with a southerly breeze that started at 12 knots and increased to 20 for the third race of the GP42s and X-35s.

The TP52s held their coastal race and the Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman, Dean Barker, had no problem driving the Spanish King’s boat Bribón to victory. The New Zealander put the Spanish boat in front of the fleet, followed by Platoon that wanted but couldn’t. The two yachts crossed the scoring gate in that order, followed by Desafío. Helmsman for the week, taking time out from his Quantum Racing TP52, Terry Hutchinson, was not able to maintain third place until the end of the race it was taken by the Argentinean yacht Matador that made a spectacular comeback after crossing the starting line early.

The GP42 class showed how close and tight it is in the first race, where the delta between the first and the seventh yacht was just 22 seconds. Airis won, followed by Desafío and Roma GP42.2, in a five second photo-finish. The second race was once again an Italian affair and was won by Roma GP42.2, followed by Desafío and Near Miss. In the day’s last race the arrival order was inverted and Desafío, helmed by Laureano Wizner, easily dominated, crossing the finish line 1 minute ahead of Airis and Near Miss.

It seems there is nothing that can stop Aifos, the former TP52 racing in IRC 1. With seven bullets in seven races, they couldn’t do any better. Sir Peter Ogden’s Spirit of Jethou and Philip Mecklenburg’s Moana continue second and third overall, respectively. Is the IRC the future for the TP52 yachts?

There was a change in the leadership of the IRC 2 class. Tony Buckingham’s Ngoni proved to be the most consistent boat of the day, scoring a second and a first, and overtook Give me five, while Jesus Turrós’ Sercotel Hotels remains third.

The coastal race for the Swan 45 class didn’t alter the top three as much as the discards potentially could do. The form book was respected and No Limits-Bolidt, owned by RW Bol, is still leading the table, followed by Danilo Salsi’s DSK-Comifin, and Codecasa’s and Battistela’s Jeroboam Ca’Nova. One of the boats that was catapulted to fourth place, just one point behind, was Tea Ekengren-Sauren’s Blue Nights that was able to discard a 17-point race.

The X-35 class saw Nic Bol’s Quantum Racing jump to third place overall, thanks to a very consistent day (two seconds and one first). But Thorckild Juncker’s Cool Runnings is still first albeit with a shrinking lead, while Carlo Brenco’s Tixelio is third.

In the ORC 670 class there was no change from yesterday: Jesús Pintos’ Navantia remains on top and Vell Marí, the best-performing locals in this regatta, are second overall. Daniele Augusti’s Cometal-Ferrobeton was more consistent that yesterday and was able to keep her third place.

In the ORC 570 class, Icaro, owned by Carles Rodríguez, is the overall leader with another bullet and a sixth. Second position is held by Gustavo Martínez Doreste’s Hempel-Power Plate while Ernesto Vera’s Pasión x Castellón has regained third.


Copa del Rey AUDI MAPFRE – Provisional standings

TP 52
1. Platoon, Jochen Schuemann, 1-3-1-6-2-2, 15 points
2. Bribón, Dean Barker, 5-1-4-4-1-1, 16 points
3. Desafío, Terry Hutchinson, 4-7-3-1-3-4, 22 points
4. Mutua Madrileña, Vasco Vascotto, 2-8-2-2-4-6, 24 points
5. Matador, Alberto Roemmers, 3-4-7-8-5-3, 30 points

GP 42
1. Near Miss, Bertrand Pacé, 6-1-1-1-1-6-3-3, 16 points
2. AIRIS, Sandro Montefusco, 1-7-2-7-2-1-4-2, 19 points
3. Desafío, Laureano Wizner, 2-2-5-6-5-2-2-1, 29 points
4. Roma GP42.2, Paolo Cian, 4-5-3-5-6-3-1-4, 25 points
5. MADRID, José Maria Van der Ploeg, 7-4-4-2-3-5-7-6, 31 points

IRC 1
1 Aifos, Jaime Rodríguez Toubes, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1, 7 points
2 Spirit of Jethou, Sir Peter Ogden, 2-3-3-2-2-2-2, 16 points
3 Moana, Philippe Mecklenburg, 3-2-7-3-3-4-4, 26 points
4 CAM, SAR Felipe de Borbón, 4-4-4-6-7-5-3, 33 points
5 Aegir, Benjamin Brian, 6-8-8-4-4-3-5, 38 points

IRC 2
1. Ngoni, Tony Buckingham, 5-1-5-1-1-1-2, 16 points
2. Give me five, Arya Yatchs Venezia, 2-2-1-5-2-4-6, 22 points
3. Itaca IX, Manuel Gallego, 3-6-3-2-6-2-3, 25 points
4. Sercotel Hotels, Román Turró, 4-3-4-4-3-10-1, 29 points
5. Item Power Sport, Sebastian López, 6-4-9-3-4-3-4, 33 points

ORC 570
1. Ícaro, Carles Rodríguez, 1-8-2-1-1-6-1, 20 points
2. Hempel-Power Plate, Gustavo Martínez Doreste, 2-6-3-3-5-3-5, 27 points
3. Pasión x Castellón, Ernesto Vera, 4-12-1-5-7-1-4, 34 points
4. Minnic, Eiken Albers, 15-2-10-2-2-2-2, 35 points
5. I. Nova, Giancarlo Simeoli, 8-7-4-4-4-5-6, 38 points

ORC 670
1. Navantia, Jesús Pintos, 2-2-1-7-2-1-1, 16 points
2. Vell Marí, Teo Matheu, 1-7-4-1-5-2-3, 23 points
3. Cometal-Ferrobeton, Daniele Augusti, 2-1-2-2-11-8-2, 32 points
4. Vindio, Alfonso Pascual, 3-4-5-8-3-5-7, 35 points
5. Aquasonic, Daniel Maestre, 4-8-8-3-12-5, 43 points


X-35 (1 discard)
1. Cool Runnings, Thorkild Juncker, 1-3-4-1-2-6-1-4-3, 19 points
2. Quantum Racing, Nic Bol, 2-2-19-5-5-7-2-2-1, 26 points
3. Tixelio, 11-7-26-8-3-2-5-1-5, 42 points
4. X-Trifix, Stefano Trifiro, 9-1-3-7-4-4-7-10-17, 45 points
5. Giochelotta, Francesco Conte, 10-17-1-2-8-3-3-13-9, 49 points

SWAN 45 (1 discard)
1. No Limits-Bolidt, RW BOL, 9-6-4-2-2-2-2-3, 21 points
2. DSK-Comifin, Danilo Salsi, 2-5-5-5-5-1-11-1, 24 points
3. Jeroboam Ca’Nova, Codecasa / Battistella, 5-2-3-4-4-12-4-8, 30 points
4. Blue Nights, Tea Ekengren-Sauren, 1-4-6-17-3-5-5-7, 31 points
5. Fever, Diederichs / Gordon, 4-14-2-1-10-4-7-4, 32 points