Felipe VI achieves his first podium in a Copa del Rey MAPFRE with 'Scugnizza' and 'Patakín' as absolute champions

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

PALMA, 5 Aug. (from the special envoy of EUROPA PRESS, Andrea García Acuña) -

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

He had never been on the podium of the Don Felipe Cup, which had two fourth places in 2021, already as king and also with the Spanish Navy ship, and in 2008, still as prince and aboard his friend's 'CAM' Fernando León, as best results.

This Saturday, with second and fourth places in the two events held, Admiral Jaime Rodríguez Toubes's boat moved up one place to finish the second regatta, 13 points behind the class winner, the 'Palibex-Elena Nova'. At the moment, the current monarch continues without emulating his father, the emeritus king Juan Carlos I, who raised the title up to five times.

The instability of the wind somewhat delayed the day in the bay, where the eight classes faced the fight for the title. In the first of the classes in corrected time, the Majorica ORC1, the 'Palibex-Elena Nova' confirmed their final victory after winning the two rounds disputed, the first one ahead of Felipe VI's 'Aifos'.

The Navy vessel, with the monarch at the helm, was second in the first race and fourth in the second, which allowed it to go up one place compared to Friday. Francesco Bertone's 'Lisa R', who also took fourth and second, moved up to third place behind 'From Now On'.

Undoubtedly, one of the great protagonists of the day in the Balearic capital was Javier Banderas' 'Soho CaixaBank Theatre', which revalidated the title won in 2021 and 2022, finishing the regatta undefeated. Two new victories this Saturday allow him to finish the final series -after winning all the rounds of the previous series as well- with an immaculate score of six points, thirteen more than his immediate pursuers.

Basilio Marquínez's 'Seabery Dralion' confirmed his second place overall in the class with a second and a seventh to finish with the same units (19) as Pedro Gil's 'Maverta'.

In Majorica ORC3, bad luck struck with the hitherto leader, Carles Rodríguez's 'Laplaza Assessors', which collided with 'Yellow Rose' on the race course located in the center of the bay during the first race of the day , won by Vicenzo de Blasio's 'Scugnizza', who has managed to defend his crown and has also won the absolute title of the compensated time classes. With two first places, the Italian ship heads a podium completed by Jorge Martínez Doreste's 'Concesur 50 Years' and Ignacio Campos' 'Tanit IV-Medilevel'.

In Majorica ORC4, Scott Beattie's 'Just The Job' retained the lead and lifted the title, all in a day in which Gonzalo Calvo's 'Lassal' won the two tests to confirm 'silver'. Arturo Montes' 'Ybarra-Befesa', with a fourth and a third, climbed to the final podium.

Among the ClubSwan 50 one-designs, Marcus Brennecke's 'Hatari' repeats the title thanks to two seconds in the two tests held. The German 'Niramo' -with fourth and fifth- and Andrea Lacorte's 'Vitamin' -with first and seventh- defended their positions and finished second and third, respectively.

Nor did Pedro Vaquer's 'Nadir' fail at ClubSwan 42, who was leading the last day and who, with a win and third place, will once again raise the trophy as in 2022. José María Meseguer's 'Pez de Abril' , who won the title in 2017 and 2018, finished the race second to six points, just ahead of the Italian 'Koyré-Spirit of Nerina'.

Luis Albert Solana's 'Patakín' did not give rise to surprises either and became the new champion of the Herbalife J70 class, as well as the absolute winner among the classes that compete in real time. Those from the Real Club Náutico de Palma achieved first and second places and lead Luis Bugallo's 'Usana-Les Roches' by five points in the final standings. The 'Hang Ten' of Mon Cañellas, current Spanish champion and winner of the second round of the day, climbed into the third drawer.

In the female class Mallorca Sotheby's Women's Cup -where they compete aboard J80 monotypes-, María Bover's 'Team RCNP Balearia' asserted their two seconds this Saturday to storm the top of the standings and repeat the title, to the detriment Nuria Sánchez's 'Dorsia Covirán' and the Olympian Natalia Vía-Dufresne -two fourths-, and 'Etnia Barcelona-Zona Norte' consolidated third.

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