‘Tarhunz’ is crowned champion of the 39th edition of the Rei En Jaume regatta

The first yacht to cross the finish line was ‘Gymir’, skippered by Manel Codina, who took 18 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds to complete the 103-nautical-mile course linking Salou with Santa Ponça.

‘Tarhunz’, owned by Diego de las Heras and representing CN Vilanova, was declared the winner of the ORC class in the 39th edition of the Rei En Jaume Regatta, a 103-nautical-mile crossing commemorating the conquest of Mallorca in 1229. The event concluded on Friday, September 12, with an awards ceremony at Port Adriano, presided over by the mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual.

In the Solo class, Xavi Toledo with Mar y Luz of CN Vilanova claimed the title, while ‘Diabolic’, skippered by Glen de Brouwer, triumphed in ORC A2, and ‘Falutx’, sailed by Ramón Grau of CN Salou, was first in the ORC Promotion class.

Diego de las Heras described the regatta as “fun”. “I think all the crews had a great time, and everyone finished within the time limit, despite a lull that lasted nearly five hours. The toughest moment for me was when I thought we hadn’t won, but apart from that, everything was perfect: both organizationally and competitively,” he said.

Mayor Amengual took part in the regatta for the second time; his first was back in 1989. “The experience was excellent, with good weather and a great atmosphere on board. It’s incredible that after almost 25 hours of sailing and a five-hour lull, three boats taking completely different routes and strategies finished almost simultaneously,” he remarked.

Reflecting on the historic background, the mayor added: “When you’re sailing, you can’t help but think about what King Jaume went through, crossing with 170 ships and 15,000 people, and what that campaign meant for Mallorca. It gives you a sense of the scale and significance of that conquest, which marked the beginning of the island’s history.”

The start took place on Thursday, September 11 at 10 a.m., with westerly winds of up to 15 knots propelling the fleet swiftly through the early stages. However, by late afternoon the wind dropped, creating calm patches that slowed the 20 participating yachts, particularly those leading the race. The first to cross the finish line was Gymir, skippered by Manel Codina, after 18 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds.

“We started very well: in the first nine hours we covered about 82 miles, but after an almost complete lull, the final 20 miles took us nine hours. In other words, it took us twice as long to get there,” explained Codina, who has now competed in ten editions and promised to return, noting: “The yacht clubs, both in Salou and Santa Ponça, treat us extremely well and take good care of the sailors.”

At the trophy dinner, held on Friday evening at Port Adriano, Luis Nigorra, president of the Santa Ponça Yacht Club, thanked the municipalities for their support, highlighting that this year’s regatta had been the most well-attended of the last decade.

On behalf of the Salou Yacht Club, commodore Josep Oliva praised the sailors’ passion for undertaking the crossing and pointed out: “We are now looking ahead to the 40th edition.”

In his closing speech, Mayor Amengual stressed that this year’s edition had taken on a “more institutional character, strengthening the bond between Salou and our town, giving more prominence to this twinning between municipalities. We plan to organize something special next year for the 40th anniversary of this regatta, as few competitions have reached so many editions.”

The Rei En Jaume Regatta has been organized since 1986 by the Santa Ponça Yacht Club and CN Salou, with the support of Port Adriano, Port Tarraco, and the municipalities of Calvià and Salou. The competition is part of the Ausmar Regatta Circuit, alongside La Ruta de la Sal, the Ruta de Tramuntana, the Bahía de Pollença Regatta, and the Golden Cup Badalona, organized by Difusión Náutica and Skipper magazine.