ORC European Championship 2025 set to begin at 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE in Palma
by Offshore Racing Congress 28 Jul 11:42 PDT
29 July - 2 August 2025
The 43rd edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE is about to begin at the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), and with it comes a historic first: the regatta will host the 2025 ORC European Championship.
This integration brings new prestige and international weight to one of the most iconic sailing events in the Mediterranean.
117 teams from 24 nations have gathered in Palma, representing over 1,700 sailors across four highly competitive ORC classes. From July 29 to August 2, the Bay of Palma will serve as the arena for up to eight races, including two coastal courses. The top-ranked team in each class will be crowned ORC European Champion and winner of the 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE in a prize-giving ceremony on Saturday, August 3, with trophies to be awarded by HRH King Felipe VI of Spain.
The event was officially opened on Saturday, July 26, with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony held in the Sala Magna of the RCNP, attended by club and local officials, sponsors, and class representatives. Among them was Alberto Pindozzi, ORC Super Yacht Manager, who expressed enthusiasm about bringing the European Championship to Palma. "This is a great spot with excellent infrastructure, and we thought - why not? Why not hold the Europeans along with the Copa del Rey? And here we are, with 120 boats," said Pindozzi.
RCNP Director Manuel Fraga called this step a natural progression in the regatta's history. "Since its first edition in 1982, Copa del Rey MAPFRE has led the way in Spanish offshore sailing. Hosting the ORC European Championship for the first time in our history is a true honor."
Among the most anticipated battles is in the ABANCA ORC 0 class with 17 entries, where defending Copa del Rey champion Javier Banderas, aboard TEATRO DEL SOHO SAN MIGUEL, and HRH King Felipe VI of Spain, sailing on AIFOS, return to defend their 2024 titles. The competition will be fierce, with eleven TP52s on the starting line, joined by three ClubSwan 50s, two 46-footers, and a 45-footer. This fleet promises to be one of the most competitive ever assembled in Palma, with the TP52s expected to set the pace and other boats hoping to capitalize on tactical opportunities in the windward-leeward races.
TEATRO DEL SOHO SAN MIGUEL, owned by Javier Banderas and helmed by Daniel Cuevas, will face off against AIFOS, led by Admiral Jaime Rodríguez-Toubes, as well as a strong lineup of international challengers. These include VUDU, owned by Mauro Gestri, who won the Sandberg PalmaVela and the Trofeo SM La Reina earlier this year; URBANIA, owned by Tomás Gasset, a standout in the same events; and AROBAS2 from France, which placed fourth in the 2024 Copa del Rey MAPFRE. The French SPIRIT OF MALOUEN XI, skippered by Stéphane Névé, narrowly missed winning the 2024 TP52 World Championship and now arrives in Palma in top form. Also joining the fleet are the Brazilian teams ALIZÉE BY CABALLO LOCO, owned by Mauro Dottori, and CRIOULA IV, owned by Eduardo Plass, as well as VESPER from the United States and BLUE from Italy, owned by Bonfiglio Mariotti, a regular on the Adriatic circuit.
In the Sail Racing ORC A class, a 34-boat fleet representing 15 countries will provide one of the most international showdowns of the week. Among the strongest contenders are ELENA NOVA, skippered by Christian Plump, winner of ORC 2 at last year's Copa del Rey; HYDRA HM HOSPITALES, owned by Óscar Chaves, who finished third in the same class; and SELENE ALIFAX, owned by Massimo de Campo, winner of the 2025 Trofeo SM La Reina. The ClubSwan 42s PEZ DE ABRIL, owned by José María Meseguer, and NADIR, owned by Pedro Vaquer, also return as reigning ClubSwan 42 world champion and runner-up, respectively. Among other major contenders are ESTRELLA DAMM SAILING TEAM, owned by Rolf Auf der Maur and co-skippered by Ignacio Montes, the most decorated team in Copa del Rey history with three overall titles, as well as DESNA, skippered by Johannes Wackerhagen, who finished second at the 2024 ORC Europeans. Additional strength comes from the Swan 45s ACEITES ABRIL, owned by Luis and Jorge Pérez Canal, and also in the spotlight is FROM NOW ON from Argentina owned by Fernando Chaín, who finished second at the 2022 ORC World Championship in Porto Cervo and now returns to European waters aiming for another podium finish—this time at the continental level.
The largest and one of the most competitive divisions is the Ubico ORC B class, which features 34 boats from 12 countries. The team to beat is PG 390 KATARA, owned and skippered by Julián Somodi of Argentina, winner of the 2024 Copa del Rey and this season's standout performer after wins at the Sandberg PalmaVela and Trofeo SM La Reina. Among the top challengers is modified Sinergia L'IMMENS, skippered by Nicolás Pesich, who placed second last year and scored additional podiums in key events this spring. Italia 11.98 GUARDAMAGO, skippered by Massimo Romero, returns as last year's runner-up and is one of five Italia Yachts in the fleet.
Making their debut at the Copa del Rey MAPFRE is SUGAR, the Italia 11.98 owned by Ott Kikkas and skippered by Sandro Montefusco, representing Estonia. After winning the ORC European Championship in Class C in both 2023 and 2024, the team is now in Class B, ready to take on a new set of rivals.
The class will also feature intense competition among five X-41s, five Italia Yachts, four Sinergia 40s, and several First 40.7s, with coastal races set to add an extra layer of tactical complexity.
In Uber ORC C, 32 boats from seven nations are expected to make the racing among the most closely matched of the week. FALA POUCO, Dufour 40 DK owned by Andrés Manresa and skippered by José Ballester, returns as the 2024 class winner at the Copa del Rey MAPFRE. Also returning is Italia 9.98 WANDERLUST, skippered by Josep Pons Faner, who finished third last year and aims to climb higher this time.
Also in the mix is Espada 34 NAUTIC CAFÉ DEL MAR, which earned a podium finish at the 2024 Copa del Rey and continues to show strong form. The Italian entries on Italia 9.98 F GIULIA, skippered by Rudolf Vrestal, and SARCHIAPONE FUORISERIE, led by Gianluigi Dubbini, also return with strong track records. EARLYBIRD, a Cape 31 skippered by Hendrik Brandis, transitions from the ClubSwan 50 class after winning his division last year. Local favourite MEERBLICK, Cape 31 skippered by Otto Pohlmann, arrives on the back of a win at this year's Sandberg PalmaVela. The class will also include two teams from the Spanish Navy on J 99 DK: REGULUS I, skippered by Francisco Javier Pavón Jarava, and REGULUS VII, helmed by Carlos Supervielle Berges.
Complete entry list
Following three full days of registration, measurement, and safety checks by the Event Technical Committee, a practice race was held in 20 knots of easterly wind just before a brief spell of rain. At the Skippers Meeting, RCNP Sports Coordinator Vivi Mainemare, PRO Gaspar Morey, and Race Officer Ariane Mainemare presented course options for the coming days. Due to lighter winds forecasted early in the week, the short offshore race has been postponed from Day One, though a 10-12 knot breeze is expected to offer ideal conditions for the first day of inshore races.
Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC, highlighted the significance of this milestone edition:
"This is a prestigious event with a long-standing tradition — the 25th edition of the ORC European Championship since we began in 1998, with only a few years missed due to the pandemic. We are thrilled to bring the championship to Palma, welcoming more than 1,000 sailors here to compete, enjoy, and show who's the best on the water. With four classes on the starting line, we aim to ensure fair racing for all, and together with the Race Committee and Technical Committee, we will do our best to provide the most competitive and enjoyable race areas. By the end of the week, we will proudly crown the new European champions."
The first official races begin on Tuesday, July 30 at noon, launching five days of top-level sailing that will culminate in the crowning of new continental and regatta champions at the 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE.
The 43 Copa del Rey MAPFRE including ORC European Championship 2025 is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) by delegation of the Real Federación Española de Vela (RFEV), with the sponsorship of MAPFRE, the institutional sponsorship of the Govern de les Illes Balears, the Palma City Council with the collaboration of the Autoritat Portuaria de Balears and the Federación Balear de Vela. This ORC European Championship 2025 is under the overall jurisdiction of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC).
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