Farewell and conclusion of the 44th Mapfre King’s Cup. After a week of competition, with thrilling duels until the very end and one of the highest overall levels on record, this year’s edition has come to a close. As is tradition, the event concluded with the trophy presentation. King Felipe VI presented the awards to the winners on Saturday at the Almudaina Palace. During the ceremony, he himself accepted an award on behalf of Hispania for finishing as the runner-up in the Abanca ORC 0 class.
The champions of the 44th Mapfre King’s Cup were the Spanish boats Teatro del Soho San Miguel in the Uber ORC B class, Nadir in the ClubSwan 42 class, and Baleària Team RCNP in the Baleària Women’s Cup; the Italian yacht Vudu in the Abanca ORC 0 class; the German yacht Niramo in the Azulmarino ORC C class; and the Estonian yacht Nola in the Sail Racing ORC A class.
In addition, the sum of the results from all ORC classes crowned Taavet Hinrikus’s Nola—skippered by Margus Uudam and with Portuguese Olympic medalist Hugo Rocha as tactician—as the overall champion of the 44th Mapfre King’s Cup on corrected time. Nola was the best of all the boats that competed in Palma Bay during the week.
Also noteworthy are the trophies for the champions of the Corinthian division (for all-amateur crews), won by L’Immens in the Uber ORC B class and by the German yacht Meerblick, skippered by Gabrielle Pohlmann, in the Azulmarino ORC C class.
King Felipe VI
himself was one of the key figures of the event, presiding over the trophy presentation. All the champions, as well as the runners-up and third-place finishers in each category, received their trophies from the monarch, who also presented the Spanish Navy’s Naval Regatta Committee with the second-place prize for the Hispania, from Admiral Jaime Rodríguez-Toubes. He had been at the helm of the vessel until Thursday, when he had to leave the island for official commitments. One of these was a trip to Cali, Colombia, to attend the inauguration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.
Among the officials who attended the trophy award ceremony at the Almudaina were Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic Government; Jaime Martínez, Mayor of Palma; Gabriel Le Senne, President of the Balearic Parliament; Llorenç Galmés, President of the Council of Mallorca; Rafael Gil, president of the Real Club Náutico de Palma; Joaquín González, president of the Balearic Sailing Federation; Elena Sanz, general manager of Mapfre Iberia; and Ricardo Esteban, Commander-in-Chief of the Balearic Islands.
The awards ceremony brings to a close a week that has made Palma Bay the epicenter of international sailing with what is, without a doubt, the most prestigious sailing competition in the Mediterranean. More than a hundred boats and 1,500 sailors from about twenty countries have competed, sharing their effort, their passion, and their desire to excel in this long-standing regatta. An event where sport, innovation, and international exposure come together every year, featuring an ever-expanding social program. The 45th Mapfre King’s Cup will take place from July 31 to August 7, 2027. Until then, it’s time to lower the sails.
