Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats Regatta
The Lady Anne, Chinook, Varuna of 1939, Argos and Andalucía-Barlovento crowned in Mahón
The five leaders after the third day claimed the titles at the 22nd Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats Regatta, which brought together 41 boats from 12 countries and completed its full programme despite the unstable weather conditions
The 22nd Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats Regatta has come to an end in the waters of Mahón with all five leaders from the previous day crowned champions. Organised by the Club Marítimo de Mahón from Tuesday through today, the regatta brought together 41 boats from 12 countries and completed its scheduled programme of one race per day despite the unstable weather conditions that prevailed for much of the week. The fleet once again delivered a high level of racing in one of the Mediterranean’s leading classic sailing events.
The final day was finally raced under clear skies after three days of overcast weather. All five classes sailed a 13-nautical-mile coastal course along the northern coast, close to Mahón Harbour.
BIG BOATS
The Lady Anne (1912), the 15 Metre designed by William Fife III, lived up to expectations and secured a commanding victory in the overall standings. The boat, owned by Gonzalo Botín, won three of the four races and demonstrated clear superiority over its rivals. Viveka (1929), owned by Keith Mills, finished second, while the schooner Altair (1931), owned by George Ruiz, completed the podium following the retirement of Cariad (1896) due to damage on the second day.
VINTAGE GAFF
The three NY40s staged a genuine duel from another era. Chinook (1916), designed by Nathanael Herreshoff and owned by Paolo Zannoni, claimed the title after leading the standings throughout the regatta. Marilee (1926), owned by Alessandra Angelini, finished second, while Rowdy (1916), owned by Donna Dyer, had to settle for third place. The boat based at the Real Club Náutico de Palma won the final two races and showed its potential, but the disqualification suffered on the opening day proved decisive and prevented it from challenging for the top positions.
VINTAGE MARCONI
Varuna (1939), designed by Sparkman & Stephens, completed a highly consistent performance to claim the title by six points. The German-owned boat, owned by Jens Kellinghusen, won three of the four races and dominated a class in which its consistency allowed it to control the standings through to the finish. Argyll (1948), owned by British actor Griff Rhys Jones and winner of the opening race, finished second, while Sonny (1935), owned by Harold Goddijn, completed the podium after maintaining an outstanding level of consistency throughout the week, with three third-place finishes and a fourth.
CLASSICS
Argos (1964), the Holman 42 designed by Kim Holman and owned by Barbara Trilling, added another victory to its remarkable record and claimed its eleventh Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats title in Mahón. Clarionet (1966), owned by Andrew Harvey, was unable to beat the class dominator in any of the four races and finished second. Mowgli (1965), owned by the Harris brothers, secured a meritorious third place. The result once again confirms Argos as an almost unbeatable force in the waters of Mahón.
SPIRIT OF TRADITION
Andalucía-Barlovento (1973), designed and built by Harry Becker, completed a perfect Copa with four wins from four races. The Torres-owned boat displayed unquestionable superiority and finished ahead of three Spirit Yachts designs that occupied the following places in the standings: Legolas (1996), owned by Jens Ricke, was second, while Flight of Durgan (2007), owned by David Grylls, took third. With local sailor Fernando Rita at the helm, Andalucía-Barlovento’s performance earned the boat its first Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats title in commanding fashion.
FLOATING MUSEUM
Beyond the sporting competition, the Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats Regatta once again turned Mahón into a meeting point for enthusiasts of the sea and classic sailing. Over these days, the harbour became a setting for camaraderie and, at the same time, a floating museum, with a fleet whose average launch year was 1957, giving it an average age of around 69 years, and an average length of 16.6 metres. The differences between the classes are particularly striking: Spirit of Tradition boats have an average age of 32 years, compared with 60 for Classics, 91 for Vintage Marconi, 104 for Vintage Gaff and 106 for Big Boats. The range could hardly be wider, from Cariad (1896), 130 years old, to Victoria (2026), launched just this year.
THE WINNING DESIGNS: FIFE, HERRESHOFF, S&S, HOLMAN AND BECKER
The Lady Anne: A Formula International 15 Metre Class (15M) yacht, launched in 1912 and designed by Scottish naval architect William Fife III, who designed around 600 boats throughout his career. She is one of only four surviving boats from the class, which at the beginning of the 20th century contested some of the most closely fought races of the era. Restored in 1999 and virtually unchanged ever since, The Lady Anne is owned by Spanish sailor Gonzalo Botín, who led her to victory in the 2024 edition after an eleven-year absence from the waters of Mahón.
Chinook: An NY40 designed by Nathanael Herreshoff, known as the “Wizard of Bristol”, and launched in 1916, the same year as her long-standing rival Rowdy. The two boats share a builder, plans and a healthy historical rivalry that has become one of the defining features of the Repsol Copa del Rey. The two yachts did not face each other in Menorca until recent editions, when Rowdy was restored to her original gaff rig from the Bermudian rig, bringing her back into the same configuration as her sistership. This year, another NY40 joined the battle: the centenarian Marilee, built in 1926.
Varuna of 1939: A yawl designed by the prestigious New York naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens, founded in 1929 by Olin Stephens and Drake Sparkman. She was launched in 1939 at the Philip & Sons shipyard in Dartmouth, England, under her original name, White Heather, commissioned by Edward Glazebrook, a Liverpool timber merchant. During her golden era she became known as Little Britannia before taking the name under which she races today. Owned by German sailor Jens Kellinghusen, Varuna competes in Vintage Marconi, the class for pre-1950 yachts carrying Marconi rigs. The boat had already won this class at the 2022 Repsol Copa del Rey.
Argos: Designed by British naval architect Kim Holman and launched in 1964, Argos is by far the second most successful boat in the history of the Repsol Copa del Rey Vintage Boats Regatta, with eleven victories to her name and just three titles short of matching the record held by the legendary Calima. Owned by Barbara Trilling, she competes in the Classics class, reserved for boats launched between 1950 and 1975, where she remains the historic benchmark and the boat to beat every year.
Andalucía-Barlovento: A Lotus E3 Scandinavia 40, designed and built in 1975 by Harry Becker, whose work reflects the strong influence of the Scandinavian school of yacht construction. Owned by Domingo de Torres and helmed by Menorcan Olympic sailor Fernando Rita, who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games in the Star class and is a former Snipe European champion, the boat competes in Spirit of Tradition, the class bringing together modern classics built using the techniques and styles of a bygone era.