Eleven teams to fight for the Mallorca Sotheby's Women's Cup in the 41st Copa del Rey MAPFRE
by 41 Copa del Rey MAPFRE 25 Jul 2023 00:16 PDT
29 July - 5 August 2023
Mallorca Sotheby´s Women´s Cup in 2022 © María Muiña/Copa del Rey MAPFRE
Since the Real Club Náutico de Palma included the women's class within the Copa del Rey MAPFRE in 2019, three teams have shared the three titles to date: Helena Alegre's "Federación Belear" in 2019, Nuria Sánchez's "Dorsia Covirán" in 2021 and María Bover's "Team Balearia" in the last edition 2022. In 2023, nine more teams will be joining the regatta to compete in the Mallorca Sotheby's Women's Cup each aiming to join the other great winners in the Mediterranean's premier regatta.
Among the eleven teams registered, the defenders of the title will be back to defend last year's victory. María Bover from the Balearic Islands will be leading "Team Balearia" after a triumphant result in 2022 with a total of four victories and four partial podiums. Very closely followed last year by "Dorsia Covirán," with Natalia Vía-Dufresne at the helm, both teams will return this year and are two clear favourites for the title.
"We are really looking forward to starting racing and are all very motivated," explained Bover. "This year we were able to compete in several regattas in the Mediterranean circuit and able to get to know each other as a crew, and that has been very positive for us."
Competing with them, another nine teams representing Cantabria, Baleares, Galicia, Cataluña and Valencia, have also confirmed their participation in the Copa del Rey MAPFRE: Helena Alegre with "Sal", Eva González with "Zona Norte" from Santander, María Perelló with "Herbalife Nutrition - FBV", Patricia Suárez with "Citanias", Inés Ferrer with "CN Arenal", Elena Raga at the helm of "Bandido", Laura Tamani with the "Repsol FM Grupo Técnológico" and two crews from the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona and the Club Náutico Cambrils.
"Once again there is a very high level this year, and with such a competitive fleet, the most inspired team to make the least mistakes will have the greatest possibility of winning," affirmed the skipper of "Team Balearia.
The Mallorca Sotheby's Women's Cup, which will be held on board the J80 One Design, is programmed to include a total of 14 races over the five days of the regatta, which begins on Tuesday 1st August.
The event promises a highly competitive women's class and will once again make for a very exciting 41st edition of the most eagerly awaited event in the Mediterranean racing calendar.
The 41st Copa del Rey MAPFRE is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Real Federación Española de Vela (lit. Spanish Royal Sailing Federation), and sponsored by MAPFRE, with the institutional collaboration of the Govern de les Illes Balears (Balearic Islands government), the Ayuntamiento de Palma (Palma Town Hall), the Autoritat Portuaria de Balears (Balearic Islands Port Authority) and the Federación Balear de Vela (Balearic Islands Sailing Federation).