Following the close of the first entry period on June 15th and with the six classes for the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre now confirmed, the leading contenders in each division are beginning to emerge.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Abanca ORC 0 class, where three previous Copa del Rey Mapfre winners will once again go head-to-head in the Bay of Palma.

The first is Hispania, the new training yacht of the Spanish Navy. The boat previously raced under the name Vesper and claimed overall victory at the 2025 Copa del Rey Mapfre. The yacht arrives in Palma after completing its first months of activity under the Spanish flag.

Another proven winner will be Toni Guiu’s Blue Carbon. The same yacht won the Copa del Rey Mapfre in 2024 when campaigned by Javier Banderas under the colours of Teatro del Soho-San Miguel. This season, the Andalusian team is competing in ORC B with a new X-Yachts 41R, which also won the most recent Sandberg PalmaVela.

The third former champion is Germany’s Red Bandit, owned by Carl-Peter Forster, which dominated the 2022 edition and returns to Palma after finishing eighth at the recent ORC World Championship.

“The Copa del Rey Mapfre has always showcased the very best boats and crews,” says Toni Guiu. “Boats change and evolve, but great champions leave their mark.”

The Catalan owner also highlighted that “this year’s regatta offers a wonderful image, with three former winners sharing the same starting line. For those of us who have spent many years in the sport, it feels like meeting old rivals again, all ready to fight for victory once more.”

All three yachts are TP52s optimised for racing under the ORC rule and will face fierce competition. Among their main challengers are Italy’s Blue, owned by Bonfiglio Mariotti and runner-up in the previous edition, and Malta’s Vudu, owned by Mauro Gestri, the reigning ORC World Championship runner-up, who narrowly missed the Copa del Rey Mapfre podium in 2025 by just two points.

Another notable TP52 will be Vithas-Urbania, owned by Tomás Gasset, which returns with the same yacht that competed in 2025 following an impressive season that included runner-up honours at the Conde de Godó Trophy and seventh place at the ORC World Championship. Completing the list of contenders are Brazil’s Caballo Loco, owned by Mauro Dottori, and France’s Guénifey, helmed by Julien Llorca.

According to Manu Fraga, General Manager of Real Club Náutico de Palma, “the Copa del Rey Mapfre once again demonstrates its ability to attract top-level boats and crews. The fact that three previous winners will compete in the Abanca ORC 0 class speaks volumes about the prestige of the regatta and the sporting value of winning in the Bay of Palma.”

Fraga added: “It will be a very open class, featuring highly optimised yachts and teams accustomed to competing at the highest level. For the club, this is excellent news and another reason to look forward to an edition in which the rivalry promises to be stronger than ever.”