Field tightens

As discards come into play at Copa del Rey Mapfre

Discards can into affect today at the 30th Copa del Rey after eight races were completed, and with these came significant changes in the overall results, with gaps closing with just four races to go. The Bay of Palma again delivered perfect sailing conditions and a sea breeze of 10-12 knots that established soon after noon.

In the big boat class, Bribón sees her advantage over Container reduced from 11 points to six after post-discards. Jose Cusi's TP52, steered by Gonzalo Araújo, scored two seconds today, while German Udo Schutz's TP52 Container was third and first, pulling her up to second overall after eight races and a discard. So the fight for first continues in IRC A, with Bribón's lead over Container reduced and Shockwave, Jethou, Gladiator and Hispano slogging it out for the final step on the podium. Kiko Sánchez Luna and Fernando León's BC 52 Hispano with HRH Felipe de Borbón at the helm posted a sixth and fourth, dropping her to sixth overall after eight races. In IRC B British Speedy struggles and Earlybird, stays at the top, but just six points ahead.

In the Melges 32 class John Kilroy's Samba Pa Ti, with Italian ace Vasco Vascotto aboard, ruled today with two bullets moving her up to third. Tommorrow when the discards kick in for the Melges 32 class, the American boat will be able to get rid of her poor 13th position in the first race of the competition. In the meantime Jason Carroll's Argo, with Cameron Appleton calling tactics, remains atop the leaderboard after second and third places today left leave them with a 12 point cushion over second placed B-Lingsailing.com. The Melges 32 World Champions, with Luca Lalli steering and Lorenzo Bressani calling tactics was third and sixth today, lacking some consistency.

In the J/80 fleet Jose María van der Ploeg's Factorenergia – Great Sailing Quum has taken the lead with two second place finishes today. The Spanish Olympic medallist is accompanied on board by his 11-year-old son Jose María, the youngest sailor of the entire regatta. World Champions, Nextel Engineering could only manage a third and a fifth today.

After three days of Italian domination, the X-35 class sees the Spanish yacht Iberostar step onto the podium after their rather humble start to the competition. Javier Bandera's new X with double Olympic gold medallist Luís Doreste calling tactics, won today's first race and was third in the next one, moving them up to third overall post-discard. The Italians on Tixelio hold second while, just one point ahead, Hotelplan stays at the top despite today's blunder in the first race when they finished eighth followed by a third in the second.

In RI 1 Rafael Carbonell's Rats on Fire, with Rayco Tabares calling tactics, continues to lead after her 2-1 finishes today, extending her advantage over second-placed Cuadernos Rubio, a Swan 45 steered by Platú 25 World Champion Manu Weiller, to 12 points. The latter in turn has a five points cushion over Giacomo Miscioscia's Italian Swonderfull, which benefited from Axel Rodger's Mapfre being over the line in the first race dropping her to third.

Pedro Campos Movistar continues to remain on top of the RI 2 scoreboard after one discard, with a small advantage of three points over Power Plate of Sydney and Athens Olympic sailor Gustavo Martínez Doreste. Campos was replaced by Pablo Iglesias at the helm today, who won one of the races, after Campos injured his eye yesterday. He won't be able to sail again until next Saturday.

Full results here