Copa del Rey Mapfre: A thrilling final, with “Niramo” narrowly ahead of “Earlybird”

With four Cape 31s in the top six, the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre in the ORC C class showed who is currently setting the standard in this class. The top two boats were locked in a close battle at the front an all-German clash, during which the lead changed hands several times throughout the series, always accompanied by the question: will Hendrik Brandis’ Cape 31 ‘Earlybird’ ultimately take the win, or will it be Sönke Meier-Sawatzki’s sister boat in the same class and Kiel Week winner, the ‘Nirmao’, that comes out on top?

44th Copa del Rey: ‘Earlybird’ or ‘Niramo’?

​The duel was a nail-biter right up to the final lap. In the end, it was Sönke Meier-Sawatzki’s “Niramo”, with eight-time Oceanrace participant Bouwe Bekking and match racing ace Torvar Mirsky from Australia, who, after a total of eight races at the Copa del Rey Mapfre, prevailed by a margin of 1.75 points over the team led by Hendrik Brandis, who had previously won the Spanish classic three times.

For Sönke Meier-Sawatzki, this was his first victory at the ORC’s flagship event in Palma, following several previous appearances in the Copa del Rey, where a total of 99 boats competed across the six classes, whilst 35 yachts are set to contest the ORC European Championships in Klaipėda next week. Sönke Meier-Sawatzki, owner of the “Niramo” which triumphed in the Balearic Islands, said: “For me, this is the greatest victory of all time at the most important regatta. We’ve already won my home regatta this year at Kieler Woche. And now this!”

The Bredenbek native, who races for the Kiel Yacht Club with his crew, said in Palma: “This is so important for us. I think this is my tenth time competing in the Copa del Rey, and we’ve finished second and third in the past, so we’re absolutely delighted.” He also paid tribute to his successful Cape 31: “I love this boat. It’s more intense than the ClubSwan 50, which I still own. And Tovar (Mirsky) and Bouwe make a great team together.”

"This Cape 31 might just make you even more astute." Sönke Meier-Swatzki

Of the 21 ORC-C boats in total, a third were entered in the Corinthean category for amateur crews. This special classification was also won by a German Cape 31, Gabriele and Otto Pohlmann’s “Meerblick”. The victory was achieved with a new, young crew that had only been finalised two days before the start. “What this young crew achieved in such a short space of time was impressive,” said Otto Pohlmann.

“Vudu” wins ahead of King Felipe de Borbón and “Hispaniola”

In the largest ORC-0 group, well-known German yachts found the going tougher. Here, Mauro Gestris’s Italian TP52 “Vudu” secured a commanding victory ahead of the ORC 52 “Hispania”, skippered and helmed by King Felipe de Borbón of Spain. The royal crew won three of the eight races, but a few weaker results cost them the King’s Cup compared to the more consistent “Vudu”. Carl-Peter Forster’s “Red Bandit” (Bavarian Yacht Club) finished seventh in the first regatta with a new helmsman. Michael Berghorn’s Mills 45 “Halbtrocken 4.5” (Halbtrocken Sailing Club) finished eighth in the ORC 0 class.

Click here for the results of the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre.

In the ORC A class, Christian Plump’s regular podium finisher “Elena Nova” missed out on the top three in this edition of the Copa del Rey. The Swan 42 CS, racing for the host club Real Club Náutico de Palma, finished fifth. In a head-to-head battle with Niklas Zennström’s sister boat “Ran”, the Estonian Carkeek 40 “Nola” secured victory in ORC A by a two-point margin.

In the A Division – a well-contested and exciting field of 19 boats – Johannes Wackerhagen’s Knierim 49 “Desna” (Kieler Yacht-Club), Jan Opländer’s Swan 45 “Katima” (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) and Sascha Schröder’s Neo 430 Roma “Neomind” (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee). In the B Division, perennial favourite Javier Banderas – competing this year on the new XR 41 “Teatro Soho San Miguel” – once again secured the class victory on home soil in Spain.

Round-the-world sailor Dee Caffari to compete in the Copa del Rey for the first time

The crews on the ClubSwan 42 “Nadir” and the Balearia Team RCN Palma, skippered by Maria Bover, celebrated two further Spanish class victories in the Balearia Women’s Cup. The series, which was contested with great enthusiasm by 99 teams, was brought to a close in the traditional manner by the King, who honoured the winning crews of the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre at the Palacio de la Almudaina.

She played in her first Copa del Rey Dee Caffari, who has sailed round the world eight times, who, as navigator on board the American Swan 58 “WaveWalker”, did not manage to finish higher than 14th and last in ORC 0. Dee Caffari said, however: “We weren’t always last here. Our delta times have improved. In the bigger picture, we’re preparing here for the September showdown at the Swan Cup off Porto Cervo. At least twelve Swan 58s are expected to turn up there. Then we’ll have friends to race against.”

The British sailor still enjoyed her debut, saying: “I’m impressed by how many races they manage to organise here, even in conditions that aren’t always easy. The atmosphere is brilliant and relaxed. It’s also great fun to sail against the King, who is simply part of the scene, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Caffari’s next project? She’ll be helping Alexia Barrier with her preparations for the Route du Rhum this autumn, in which the Frenchwoman will be the first woman to compete solo in an Ulim: “The Famous Project”.

A Caffari comeback in the Ocean Race?

Dee Caffari has also just spent some time with Oliver Heer and his IMOCA team. Whether this will lead to further collaboration, perhaps even for the new Ocean Race Atlantic, which starts on 1 September in New York, in which Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia are also taking part, or the Ocean Race round the world, Caffari did not wish to comment on in Palma.

Here are the winners of the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre: