39 Copa del Rey MAPFRE
The third day of competition has marked the crossing of the equator of the 39 Copa del Rey MAPFRE and resolved the first phase of the competition program, the Previous Series. Starting tomorrow, the Final Series will be held, three days of regattas that each team faces with a score equivalent to the position it occupies today in the provisional.
The leaders at the end of the Pre-Series are: Alegre in IRC I class, Hatari in ClubSwan 50, Natalia in ClubSwan 42, G Spot in ClubSwan 36, From Now On in BMW ORC 1, Soho Caixabank Theater in BMW ORC 2, Laplaza Assessors at BMW ORC 3, Dorsia Covirán at Mallorca Sotheby’s Women’s Cup and Patakín at Herbalife Nutrition J70.
End of the first part
For the third day in a row, the fleet went out on the water with a menu consisting of two tests in all classes except the female and the J70, which could compete up to three. The thermal wind came on time to the event and blew around ten knots, allowing the program to be completed in the three regatta areas. The teams competed with calculators in hand, aware that the position in which they finished the day mattered more than the difference in points with respect to their rivals. The markers would restart at the end of the day.
Andrés Soriano’s Alegre won both tests of the day and makes it clear that he is the rival to beat in IRC 1. The British TP52, which only lost two points yesterday due to material problems, completed the Previous Series with five victories out of six possible and six points ahead of Paprec Recyclage (2 + 4). Third is Arobas (4 + 2).
At ClubSwan 50, Marcus Brennecke’s Hatari remains firmly in the lead. The current world champion resolved the day with the best card in the class (4 + 2), ending the Qualifying Phase with the largest advantage in the entire fleet: 19 points. Second finished the Russian Bronenosec 50, who won the last heat of the day to prevail in the tiebreaker to the German Niramo (3 + 6). The Spanish Tenaz (11 + 10) occupied the ninth position.
The ClubSwan 42 class completed the Previous Series with a tie for the lead between George Brailoiu’s Natalia (5 + 1) and Pedro Vaquer’s Nadir (1 + 3). The tiebreaker favors the Romanian boat, which will start the Final Series as the leader and is making steady progress in its plan to defend the 2019 title. Third is the 2018 and 2017 champion, José María Meseguer’s Pez de Abril (3 + 5).
The G Spot is emerging as the top contender for the title of the new ClubSwan 36. Giangiacomo Serena’s boat, leader from day one, was also the best in the class on this third day (2 + 2), completing the Previous Series with 13 points ahead of the tie between Farstar (8 + 1) and Vitamina (3 + 3), second and third respectively.
In BMW ORC 1, Fernando Chain’s From Now On (3 + 5) completed the Preliminary Phase at the head of the classification and ahead of Felipe VI’s Aifos 500. The King rejoined the ship of the Spanish Navy today to sign the best card in the class (5 + 2), and faces the Final Series as one of the rivals to beat. Third finished the Hydra skippered by Fernando León (1 + 7).
In BMW ORC 2, today the Swan 42 Teatro Soho Caixabank lost its unbeaten performance, yielding the first point of the week. The boat assembled by Javier Banderas finished the first heat of the day behind the M8 and added its fifth partial victory of the week in the following, completing the preliminary phase in the lead, six points ahead of the Grand Soleil 43 of the Frances brothers. Pedro Gil’s Defcom Seguridad finished third (3 + 4).
In BMW ORC 3, the Laplaza Assessors by Carlos Rodríguez today made profitable the magnificent performance of the two previous days. It was enough for the champion of the last two editions to sign his most discreet results of the week (8 + 3) to defend his leadership and lead the provisional at the start of the Final Series. The 2019 BMW ORC 2 champion, José Coello’s El Carmen Elite Sails (2 + 1), finished second, followed by Nacho Campos’ Medilevel (3 + 4.5).
At the Mallorca Sotheby’s Women’s Cup, the Dorsia Covirán by Ana Pujol and Nuria Sánchez won the Previous Series despite not sailing today. The Valencian boat, which suffered the breakage of its pole yesterday when it was boarded by Now 4 after crossing the last finish line of the day, received compensation today that allowed it to rise to the first position. They are followed in the standings by Profand by the Galician Patricia Suárez (7 + 1 + 4 today) and Decoexsa by the Basque Olatz Muñoz (3 + 3 + 6).
Heading to the Final Series
After the first half of the program, the 39 Copa del Rey MAPFRE begins tomorrow the Final Series. According to the Sailing Instructions, each team will start it with a number of points equivalent to the position it occupies in its class (one point for the first, two for the second,…). The Final Series will be played until Saturday, with up to five tests in all classes except the female and the J70, which may play up to six.
The 39 Copa del Rey MAPFRE is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, with the sponsorship of MAPFRE and the institutional collaboration of the Government of the Balearic Islands, the Palma City Council, the Balearic Port Authority and the Balearic Sailing Federation.
