Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre - Coastal Race

by Event media on 7 Aug 2009
At the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre today it was the turn for the IRC,TP52 and Swan 45 classes to race in the Bravo area, the setting for the coastal races at this 28th Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre. The three fleets had to sail a course of about 28 miles course through an intermediate scoring mark in just nine to twelve knots of unstable and shifty wind, with a direction of 160 to 190.

This was the last chance for those lagging behind on the leaderboard to reduce their deficits.

The biggest surprise was provided by the Mini Maxi class, where 'BellaMente' won followed by 'Alfa Romeo'. The American 70 footer caught 'Alfa Romeo' in the first part of the course, and so both were tied on points at the first scoring mark.

Even with her coastal race win 'BellaMente' is still 7,5 points behind Alfa Romeo, which seems to be in good shape to is in good shape to take the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre trophy home this year. But Neville Crichton's Mini Maxi 'Alfa Romeo' will not be able to leave Palma with an undefeated record, such a perfect scoreline as was set last year by the Spanish Navy's IRC Optimised TP52 'Aifos', which won all his races in last year's edition. 'BellaMente' and 'Container' tussle for second place, but the discard favors Hap Fauth's BellaMente.

'CAM' will almost certainly probably have to make do with the fourth place. The IRC TP52 owned by Spanish Olympic champions Fernando León and Kiko Sánchez Luna, with H.M.H. The Prince of Asturias at the helm, sailed a good race, but couldn't catch the big boats which are dominating the IRC class. Just one point behind in fifth, Andy Soriano's successful Mark Mills designed 68 footer 'Allegre' is getting dangerously close. Last year's winner 'Aifos' of the Spanish Navy, skippered by Jaime Rodríguez Toubes, is seventh in the overall standings.

After the X-35 class's two windward-leeward races, the two Italian boats 'Tixelio' and 'Karma' are tied in the first position with an aggregate of15 points. They both made a very good first race, but were equally poor in the in the second contest, where they finished eighth and tenth. Second in the overall standings is Alberto Kooijman's 'Just 4 fun', which ejected Javier Sanz's 'Autoritas' off the podium, after their was tenth and fifth.

The race win for Pepe Lis's 'Xacobeo 2010 Galicia' in the second race compensated slightly for being disqualified in the first race.

Alberto Roemmers' 'Realstone Matador' won the coastal race for the TP52 class and so is now just one point behind the leader, Vasco Vascotto's 'Mutua Madrileña'. At the first scoring mark, the one at Illetes, 'Music', a boat belonging to the IRC class, got in 'Realstone Matador's' way when the Argentineans were about to round the mark. In spite of this minor hiccup Guillermo Parada's crew freed themselves and went on to comfortably win the race. 'Bribón' is climbing up the rankings and is third. Tomorrow's race will be a crucial one for the famous Spanish boat with H.RH. The King of Spain at the helm, with a podium finish overall still possible for Bribon at this most coveted of Mediterranean regattas.

In the X-41 class, 'Karhu' made a spectacular finish which has lifted him up to the first place in the overall standings. Javier Armada's crew dominated most of the race but Van der Ploeg's GP42 'Turismo Madrid' managed to pass him in the last moment finally winning the race. 'Turismo Madrid' is now second in the overall standings, and 'Lexus' goes down to the third position.

The talk of the day was the Argentinean X-35 'Edding' skippered by Gustavo Warburg, who had to retire after he was hit at the first top mark by Italian 'Day by day'.

No changes in the Swan 45 class, where RW Bol's 'No Limits' remains first in the overall standings despite being third in in the coastal race, which was won by Dutch 'Charisma'. German 'Earlybird' was first at the first mark, and both Swans are second and third respectively in the overall.