Everything is now set in Mallorca for the 44th edition of the Copa del Rey Mapfre, which will take place August 1–8 in the Bay of Palma. One of the event’s main figures will undoubtedly be Felipe VI, who is entering a new era in his sporting career. After twenty years at the helm of the Aifos, the monarch will take the helm of the Hispania, a state-of-the-art monohull that the Spanish Navy acquired last March.
Built in 2008, throughout its career it has competed first under the name Quantum Racing and later under the name Vesper as part of the U.S. team David Team, based in Newport Beach, California.
Converted to the GL52 class, it made the leap to the Mediterranean circuit in 2025 and, under the name Vesper, was crowned the overall winner of the Copa del Rey Mapfre itself. That same year, the Aifos—with Felipe VI at the helm—had to settle for sixth place, hampered by the technical wear and tear of a boat with more than two decades of competition under its belt.
The sailboat belongs to the demanding TP52 class, one of the most competitive on the international scene. Its main specifications include a length of 15.43 meters, a beam of 4.43 meters, and a draft of 3.80 meters. It has a sail area of 445 square meters and a carbon-fiber hull, and its purchase price was around one million euros.
The hull combines shades of blue and gray that blend in with the sea, along with the maritime coat of arms and the colors of the Spanish flag. The interior, featuring white control seats, displays the name of its owner (the Spanish Navy Regatta Commission) alongside the corresponding coats of arms.
The transaction was finalized through a public bidding process awarded to the Catalan company David Mas Yacht Equipment S.L., based in El Masnou (Barcelona). After its incorporation into the Navy, the ship was renamed Hispania, a name steeped in historical and nautical symbolism that also pays tribute to a vessel once championed by Admiral Marcial Sánchez-Barcáiztegui, a figure closely linked to both King Emeritus Juan Carlos I and King Felipe VI himself.
The Hispania has been sailing for weeks, and its debut has been more than promising. In its official debut, it secured a narrow victory over Vithas-Urbania in the Conde de Godó Trophy, and this weekend it once again faced off against several of its future rivals in the Copa del Rey during the S.M. La Reina Trophy, one more test before the summer’s main event.
Manu Fraga, CEO of the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Copa del Rey Mapfre, highlights the significance of this addition: “The arrival of the Hispania is great news for the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre. Seeing a Spanish Navy training vessel competing in the highly competitive Abanca ORC 0 class against some of the best international TP52s raises the level and prestige of our regatta even further.” Fraga also points out that the boat arrives “having won here last year as the Vesper,” which is generating “special anticipation among both the teams and the public.”
The Intermittent Presence of Felipe VI
Although its primary mission will be the advanced training of Navy officers—in conjunction with the Naval Academy in Marín, Pontevedra—the Hispania will compete in the demanding Abanca ORC 0 class, which features some of the best TP52s on the international circuit. The boat will remain docked at the Porto Pi naval base, in the refurbished hangar that was once occupied by the now-defunct yacht Fortuna.
Felipe VI will begin to familiarize himself with the new boat during training sessions on August 1 and 2, before the official competition begins on the 3rd. His participation will be briefly interrupted on August 7, when he travels to Colombia for the new president’s inauguration, although he plans to return to Mallorca in time for the awards ceremony.
