41st Copa del Rey: "Hatari" wins off Mallorca - Wieser on course for keel

Marcus Brennecke's "Hatari" was once again irresistible as it prevailed in the 41st edition of the Copa del Rey Mapfre in the high-calibre showdown of the 50-strong swans. Starting the final five races of the main round in fourth place, two race wins, a seventh and two second places were enough for a commanding victory.

German double victory in the ClubSwan 50

With only 17 points in the Copa account, "Hatari" had a six-point lead over Sönke Meier-Sawatzki's second-placed "Niramo" in the final standings. Andrea Lacorte's crew on the Italian ClubSwan 50 "Vitamina" sailed to third place. The placings of the other German ClubSwans in the competitive 50cc division: Enis Ersu's "Xai Vision" sailed to fourth place with tactician Hamish Pepper, Mark Bezner's "Olymp" with tactician Jochen Schümann to seventh place and Hendrik Brandis' "Earlybird" with two-time Olympic champion and tactician Robert Scheidt to eighth place.

A lot of fighting spirit was an important key to success for the "Hatari" crew led by tactician Markus Wieser this week. After the starts were not always optimal, the Brennecke team shone above all with their ability to catch up. "It was a tough last day, because 'Vitamina' had won the first race. Although we were still two points ahead, we didn't really get out of the start in either of the day's races. We really had to fight our way forward. We took the turns well and were really fast in the upper wind range. We were hungry," said Markus Wieser.

With the children on board in happiness

It was a doubly wonderful day for owner and helmsman Marcus Brennecke: "It's always something special to win here. Today it was especially nice to have my son and daughter with me. She was the lucky mascot." The luck was accompanied by a considerable amount of valuable experience. The success of the well-rehearsed "Hatari" crew was also thanks to outstanding positioning and clever strategy.

Looking at Leonardo Ferragamo's "Cuordileone" and its rollercoaster ride through the results list, in which two race wins were recorded for the Italians, who were still strong at the beginning, but three penultimate places also weighed heavily, Markus Wieser said: "They like to start downwind and pull through. If the wind doesn't come ..." The "Hatari" crew often counter the "pull through" of the Azzurri with starts through the centre, which offer more options for the further course of the race.

From victory at the Copa del Rey straight to the ORC World Championship in Kiel

"We don't always sail to one side and then hope ... We'd rather take two third places than a first and an eighth. In the long run, consistency pays off more in this strong field than extreme positioning or decisions," says Markus Wieser. Click here for his current YACHT portrait.The 59-year-old flew back to Germany on the evening of the Copa del Rey Mapfre victory. He and some of his fellow members of the "Hatari" regular crew, such as Michi Müller and Gerd Habermüller, travelled directly to Kiel, where the final preparations for their "Outsider" team for the start of the ORC World Championship on Monday (7 August) will begin tomorrow.

Wieser, who is explicitly not a sailor with a penchant for multi-day races, also knows that the opening long-distance race of the ORC World Championship in the north of Germany could be stormy. However, he has prepared himself for the long-distance race at the World Championship. "It'll be fine ... If it's banging, we'll have to take our foot off the gas a bit. The long distance can't be cancelled. If something breaks, the World Championship is as good as over. We have to sail carefully and smartly." Principal Race Officer Eckart Reinke will announce when the start of the long-distance race will take place at the skippers' briefing on Sunday evening at 6 pm in Kiel.

"Palibex - Elena Nova" wins in ORC 1

Until then, back to the Copa del Rey, where there was another victory under the German flag: In the group of large ORC yachts, the ClubSwan42 "Palibex - Elena Nova" of Javier Sanz and Christian Plump won with a Spanish crew. After the gala in the preliminary round, the team from the host Real Club Nàutico de Palma also dominated the main round with four out of five possible race wins.

The final of the 41st Copa del Rey:

Click here for the results of the 41st Copa del Rey Mapfre.