The XXI Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época starts heating up with over 40 entries

With less than a month for its beginning, a total of 42 boats have formalized their inscription in the regatta that organizes the Club Marítimo de Mahón.

The XXI Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época, hosted by the Club Marítimo de Mahón and taking place in the waters of Menorca from August 26th to 30th, already boasts among its 42 registered boats some of the most impressive sailing yachts on the international classic sailing circuit. The 21st edition of the regatta is expected to gather around fifty yachts, similar to previous years’ figures.

The fleet will be divided into five classes: Big Boats, featuring yachts over 30 meters in length; Época, for vessels built before 1950, further divided into Gaff-rigged and Bermudan-rigged depending on their rigging; Classics, comprising boats launched between 1950 and 1975; and Spirit of Tradition, a class that includes modified classics or boats built with modern materials.

So far, four yachts have registered in the Big Boats category of this Menorcan classic yacht regatta. These include three of the four surviving FI15 class yachts that ruled the sailing world in the early 20th century: ‘Mariska’ (1908), ‘Tuiga’ (1909), and ‘The Lady Anne’ (1912), along with ‘Cariad’ (1896), a historic 36-meter cutter and the oldest yacht in the fleet, which underwent a complete restoration in 2021.

In the Época category, confirmed entries include ‘Chinook’ and ‘Rowdy’ (both 1916 and belonging to the NY40 class); ‘Manitou’ (1937), famously sailed by U.S. President John F. Kennedy; and ‘Baruna of 1938’, a yacht that underwent a thorough and painstaking seven-year restoration to return it to its original condition.

The Classics division, with 14 registered yachts, has attracted the largest number of participants. Among them are ‘Livia’ (1958) from the Classic Sailing Foundation of Spain, the Portuguese yacht ‘Albacore’ (1966), ’Argos’, owned by Barbara Trilling and the most successful boat in the history of the Repsol King's Cup of Classic Yachts, and two boats representing the Italian Naval Academy: ‘Chaplin’ and ‘Tarantella’.

Lastly, the Spirit of Tradition category will feature modern classics such as ‘Legolas’, owned by Jens Ricke; ‘Atalante’, owned by Ulrich Volz; ‘Tirant Primer’, a 25-meter schooner owned by the Generalitat Valenciana that serves as a training vessel; and ‘Seléne’, owned by Iván Martínez-Cattaneo, which will represent the local Menorcan fleet in this division.

The regatta, organized by the Club Marítimo de Mahón, with sponsorship from Repsol and institutional support from the Consell Insular de Menorca and the Mahón City Council, will once again be the flagship event for classic and vintage sailing in Spain, and a key stop on the Mediterranean Champions Cup circuit, alongside Les Régates Royales, Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, Argentario Sailing Week, Les Voiles d’Antibes, and the Illes Balears Clàssics hosted by Club de Mar Mallorca.

The Club Marítimo de Mahón has already published the official regatta schedule. Events will officially begin on August 26 with the opening of the regatta office, participant registration, and boat inspections, followed by a welcome ceremony for owners and their crews in the afternoon. Races will be held from August 27th to 30th, with up to five races scheduled. Weather and maritime traffic permitting, race finishes will take place inside the natural harbor of Mahón, a feature unique to this regatta and unmatched by any other event of its kind in the world.