The Med's top regatta

A preview to this year's Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre

The first start for Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre, the Mediterranean’s number one regatta, will be fired tomorrow Monday, 28 July. A total of 113 yachts from 15 countries will be on the starting line including: Spain (52 boats), Italy (22), UK (10), Netherlands (8), Germany (7), France (3), Switzerland and Russia (2) and finally Portugal, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia Chile and Japan with one yacht each.

The boats will be competing in seven classes - TP52, GP42, IRC, ORC 570, ORC 670, Swan 45 and X-35 - on three race courses inside the Bay of Palma and for the first time all classes will have their turn compete in all race areas, as classes will be rotated daily between courses.

Four boats will return to Palma in order to defend their titles from last year. They are Alberto Roemmers’ Matador from Argentina, winner in the TP52 class, Laureano Wizner’s Desafío, winner in the GP42 class last year under the name Quebramar-Chrysler, Ícaro in ORC 570 and Plis Play in IRC.

Although not an Audi MedCup event, the TP52 fleet consists of 11 yachts the line-up including King Juan-Carlos of Spain and Bribónwhile the Spanish America's Cup team Desafío will feature a new helm for this regatta in Terry Hutchinson, normally behind the wheel of the US boat Quantum Racing, and fresh from his back to back wins in the Audi MedCup circuit. In addition are Roberto Bermúdez de Castro’s CxG, José María Torcida’s el TAU-Andalucía, Iñaki Castañer’s ONO and Mutua Madrileña, skippered by Italian Vasco Vascotto. The foreign fleet will include Riccardo Simoneschi’s Italian Audi Q8, Jochen Schuemann’s German Platoon, John Cook’s Cristabella from the UK and the Russian RUSAL-Synergy, a last-minute entry.

The GP42s will be racing for the fourth event of the international Quebramar Cup and third in the Spanish Championship. Desafío, helmed by Laureano Wizner, will hit the starting line as the Spanish favorite, but will have a very fierce battle against the Swiss Near Miss, helmed by Bertrand Pacé, and the Italians on AIRIS, helmed by Sandro Montefusco, and Roma GP42.2, helmed by Paolo Ciàn. Canarias Puerto Calero, helmed by José María Ponce and second-placed in 2007, Sergio Llorca’s Caser-Quum and MADRID, skippered by José María van der Ploeg, wrap up the GP42 fleet.

The IRC class consists of 21 yachts, divided into three groups. The two Telefonica VOR 70s will sail in IRC 0 an exhibition match-race that will not count towards the Copa del Rey. On the other hand in IRC 1, racing will be very tight. Among the participants one finds Aifos of the Spanish Navy, a former TP52 now coimpeting under IRC. Fernando León’s and Kiko Sánchez Luna’s CAM returns to the Copa del Rey with a Farr 54. The current title holder, Vicente García’s Plis Play is back as is Benjamin Brian’s maxi Aegir, having raced this year’s Hublot PalmaVela. In IRC 2, British owner Tony Buckingham’s Ngoni from the UK is the favorite and will be joined by two Spanish yachts, Jesús Turró’s Sercotel Hoteles and Francisco Tejedor’s Viking V.

In ORC 570, Carles Rodríguez’ Ícaro will try to defend her title against Power Plate-Hempel of Gustavo Martínez Doreste and Toni Rivas, Axel Rodger’s Movistar and the Portuguese yacht Luso Roux of José Caldeira.

In ORC 670 Jesús Pintos’ Navantia is the big favorite after a string of victories this year. They were twice world champions but never able to win the Copa del Rey. The fleet is almost exclusively Spanish, with Lucio Pérez’ Alicante 2008 or Teo Matheu’s Vell Marí . Last but not least two boats will be entirely crewed by women, Paula Marcón’s Maltersers and Pilar Casares’ Aguas de Mondariz. The only Italian participant is Maurizio Michielin’s Cometal-Ferrobeton, with Melges 24 World Champion Alberto Bolzan at the helm.

The Swan 45 fleet is almost exclusively international and Spain is represented by just one yacht, Rafael Carbonell’s Rats on Fire. A great range of countries will be racing in the class, including Japan, the Netherlands, UK, Finland, France and Italy. The three yachts aspiring to a spot on the podium are the Italians Danilo Salsi’s DSK-Comifin, Vittorio Ruggiero’s Talj, helmed by Melges 24 world champion Lorenzo Bressani, and Hendrik Brandis’ Earlybird from Germany.

The X-35s made their debut as a separate class in the 2007 edition and this year there are already 25 yachts. The favorite Spanish boats are Miquel Colomer’s Desafino, José María Baeza’s GD Campello and Jazz te vale, skippered by Luis Maldonado. The favorites of the international fleet are two British yachts, Thorkild Juncker’s Cool Runnings and John Parker’s Perfect Ten, and the Italian Carlo Brenco’s Tixelio, with famous America’s Cup sailor Francesco Bruni calling tactics.

Racing starts on Monday for the IRC, ORC, Swan 45 and X-35 classes, while the GP42s and TP52s will carry out their practice race.

Starting on Tuesday, 29 July all yachts will be racing in the three rotating race areas, Alfa, Bravo and Charlie, giving every participant the chance to sail throughout the Palma Bay.