The 44th edition of the regatta reaches its final day with six provisional leaders and everything to play for in the bay of Palma. The title will be decided on Saturday in the ORC and one-design classes.
The bay of Palma will host the final day of the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre this Saturday, a regatta that arrives with the standings heated after four days of competition. The Final Series, which began on Friday, has raised the stakes by scoring each race at 50% more than in the previous phase and with no possibility of discards.
The provisional leaders are the Spanish Teatro del Soho San Miguel in Uber ORC B, the Nadir in ClubSwan 42, and the Baleària Team RCNP in the Baleària Women's Cup. In the other categories, the Italian Vudu leads in Abanca ORC 0, the German Earlybird in Azulmarino ORC C, and the Swedish Rán in Sail Racing ORC A.
Open duels in the ORC classes
In Abanca ORC 0, the Vudu of Italian Mauro Gestri arrives with a lead of nine points over the Swiss Kilara II and 11.5 over the Brazilian Caballo Loco. Gestri acknowledged after the day that it was a "hard and intense" day, but confessed to enjoying it and assured that they are "saving the best for last." The Hispania, which did not have Don Felipe on board due to his official trip to Colombia, remains in fourth place after finishing ninth in the second race.
In Sail Racing ORC A, the Rán of Niklas Zennström snatched the lead from the Nola of Taavet Hinrikus by just one point, after achieving two victories on the day. Behind them, the Swedish GP42 Garm is 19 points adrift. Paul Wilcox, helmsman of the Rán, explained that they have improved their starts and that they are "very delicate boats, in the good sense of the word: they reward good trimming and precision with the helm."
The Teatro del Soho San Miguel, helmed by Javier Banderas, extended its lead in Uber ORC B to 14.5 points over L'Immens and 19.5 over the Argentine Katara. Nevertheless, with 23 boats in the race and scoring 1.5 per race, the team's tenth title is not assured. Ángel Medina, trimmer of the boat, highlighted that tomorrow will be a special day as they celebrate the anniversary of their tactician, Luis Doreste's, first Olympic medal.
In Azulmarino ORC C, the Earlybird of Hendrik Brandis took the lead from Project Work, although the difference between the top three is less than three points. The Mallorcan tactician of the Earlybird, Manu Weiller, commented that "the good thing about today is that it seemed like a typical Palma day, but it wasn't" and highlighted the strategy of going right in the first race, which allowed them to win. Weiller regretted the second race, where they were in first place but lost positions.
One-designs and Women's Cup
In ClubSwan 42, the Nadir maintains the lead, while the Baleària Team RCNP dominates the Baleària Women's Cup. Saturday's racing will start at 12:00 hours in the bay of Palma, with the expectation of holding the last races that will decide the champion of the 44th edition.
The organisation of the Real Club Náutico de Palma has confirmed that the trophy presentation will take place at the end of the races at the club's headquarters. It is expected that the prevailing westerly wind, typical in August, will accompany the fleet on a day that promises strong emotions.
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