The monarch will leave the historic Aifos to compete with the Hispania, a TP52 acquired by Defence for one million euros. The boat has already won the regatta in 2025 under the American flag.
Felipe VI will board a new boat this summer in Mallorca. The monarch will leave behind the historic Aifos, with which he has sailed for over twenty years, and will debut the Hispania, a state-of-the-art yacht acquired by the Ministry of Defence for nearly one million euros. The vessel already knows what it is to win the Copa del Rey de Vela: it was declared the winner in 2025 when it competed under the name Vesper and with an American crew.
The news was first reported by the magazine ¡Hola! and has been confirmed by sources from the Navy. The new yacht, a TP52 measuring 15.43 meters in length, replaces the Aifos, which had accumulated years of service and was no longer competitive at the highest level. The operation, managed by the Naval Regatta Commission, also includes the rehabilitation of the old hangar of the yacht Fortuna at the naval base of Portopí to house the Hispania.
A necessary change after years of waiting
The renewal of the royal vessel had been on the table for years. In 2019, a first replacement was proposed, but it was halted due to budget cuts resulting from the pandemic. In 2023, the Ministry of Defence authorised a new tender to build a competition boat, but that project also failed to materialise. Now, with the purchase of the Hispania, a long wait comes to an end.
The Aifos has been a symbol of the royal family's summers in Mallorca. Felipe VI has competed with it since his years as Prince of Asturias, and the yacht has become an inseparable image of his presence on the island. However, the passage of time had taken its toll on the vessel, and the Navy deemed an update necessary to continue competing at the highest level.
The Hispania, on the other hand, is a young and proven boat. Built from carbon fibre, it belongs to the TP52 category, one of the most competitive in the international scene. Its sail plan reaches 445 square meters and features state-of-the-art navigation and manoeuvring systems. The Navy considers it fully prepared to compete for the top titles.
A name with history and a nod to the past
The new yacht has been renamed Hispania, a name with deep historical significance linked to Spanish nautical tradition and the monarchy itself. According to Navy sources, the name also pays tribute to a vessel driven by Admiral Marcial Sánchez-Barcáiztegui, a figure closely associated with the former King Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI himself.
The Hispania was acquired from the American team David Team, where it competed as Vesper. It was previously also known as Quantum. Its achievements include victory in the 2025 Copa del Rey Mapfre, precisely the competition in which it will now participate under the Spanish flag. The monarch had the opportunity to meet the boat after that edition, when he personally congratulated the American crew on their triumph.
The yacht will not be for the private use of the king. As was the case with the Aifos, the Hispania will be integrated into the Navy's Naval Regatta Commission and will have as its main mission the training and preparation of officers, in addition to representing the institution in nautical competitions. For the residents of Mallorca, this means that the boat will be docked in Portopí and will be visible throughout the year, not just in summer.
Expected debut in August in the bay of Palma
The official debut of the Hispania is scheduled for the next edition of the Copa del Rey Mapfre, which will kick off on August 1 in the bay of Palma. The official competition will begin on the 3rd, but training will take place over the preceding weekend, during which Felipe VI will be able to start familiarising himself with his new vessel.
The boat will compete in the demanding Abanca ORC 0 category, where some of the best TP52s in the international circuit coincide. For sailing enthusiasts in Mallorca, the Hispania will undoubtedly be one of the attractions of the regatta. And for the curious, an opportunity to see up close a one million euro yacht that, according to the Navy, "represents the best of Spanish sports sailing."
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