The classics set sail to the 21st Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época final

After the storm on Thursday, August 28th, which forced “Tuiga” (1909) and “Lady Anne” (1912), two of the most pedigreed yachts in the Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época, out of the race, the waters of Menorca returned to calm.

Although remnants of the northern wind lingered in the form of a ground swell, the day dawned sunny and with an atmosphere free of the humidity that, during the previous two days, had created a challenging mix of light breezes and the threat of local showers for the race committee. The wind was not as generous as expected, but it was steady enough to allow for a smooth coastal race toward Isla del Aire, finishing inside the Mahón harbor. The southwesterly breeze of eight knots, recorded at the start, held steady for most of the 21.5-nautical-mile course.

The “Spartan” (1913), designed by Nathanael Herreshoff to the NY60 formula, was the first to show its colossal gaff rig as it crossed the mouth of Mahón harbor, completing the course in three hours and fifteen minutes. The yacht, skippered by Aladin Montel, sailed at the front of the fleet with clean air in both races held and is now the confirmed winner of the 21st Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época in the Gaff Rig (Época Cangreja) class (boats built before 1950 with trapezoidal rigs).

The crew of “Rowdy” (1916), the NY 40 owned by Dona Dyer, also has plenty of reasons to be satisfied. The two races in this edition, with one more race left tomorrow, have shown that after a thorough refit this past winter at their base at the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the yacht is sailing with a slight edge over its sister ship, “Chinook” (1916), with which it shares a healthy rivalry. The “Spartan” plays in another league, so the virtual second-place finish currently feels very much like a victory.

The “Amorita”, a stunning design by Nicholas S. Potter launched in 1937, is reliving its glory days thanks to its current owner, Claudio Meali. Much like the Spartan, its victory is practically assured after two clear wins in the Bermudan Rig (Época Bermudiana) class (boats built before 1950 with triangular rigs). On Friday, it finished nearly four minutes ahead, in corrected time, of its main rival, “Santana” (1935) — one of the most admired boats in this year’s Copa del Rey Repsol, known for its fascinating history, impeccable restoration, and above all, for having belonged to Humphrey Bogart, who famously considered it his personal “sanctuary.” The “Sonny” (1935), designed by Sparkman & Stephens and owned by Harold Goddijn, is currently in third place overall.

Bárbara Trilling and her crew aboard the “Argos” (1964) are on course for what will almost certainly be their eighth victory in the Copa del Rey Repsol. Neither “Mowgly” (1965), second overall, nor “Albacore” (1966), currently third, managed to outperform one of the most decorated teams in the regatta organized by the Club Marítimo de Mahón. The leading yacht, flying the burgee of the New York Yacht Club, is not the fastest in the Classics fleet (boats built between 1950 and 1975), but it knows how to make the most of its rating. On Friday, it took four hours and twenty-six minutes to complete the course, compared to the three hours and forty-seven minutes logged by the Albacore, but still claimed victory by one minute after corrected time.

In the Spirit of Tradition division, there was a change of leader. The “Flight of Durgan”, owned by Stuart/Grylls, climbed from fourth place in the opening race to the top of the standings, pushing “Barlovento-Senda Azul”, owned by Domingo Torres, and “Happy Forever”, owned by Christian Oldendorff, into second and third place, respectively. The three boats are tied with five points, setting up a winner-takes-all showdown in tomorrow’s race. The provisional order is currently decided by the results of the most recent leg, but in practical terms, the three yachts are virtually co-leaders awaiting the final battle.

In the Big Boats division, after the mechanical withdrawals of “Tuiga” and “Lady Anne”, “Mariska” (1908) had no rivals and easily outpaced “Cariad” (1896), a larger yacht that, despite its size, lacks the characteristics needed to match the performance of a FI15 designed exclusively for racing.