Copa del Rey in Palma – The Mother of All Sailing Regattas in the Mediterranean

From Monday, July 31, until August 5, Palma’s bay will transform into one of Europe’s largest maritime racecourses. The 41st edition of the international sailing regatta, Copa del Rey Mapfre, will see around 100 crews from 16 countries competing across eight different classes. Among the approximately 1500 participants in the competition is the event’s namesake, King Felipe I, who will be at the helm of the 50-foot yacht, Aifos, just like last year. Interestingly, the royal regatta yacht officially belongs to the Spanish Navy’s fleet.

Apart from the Spanish teams, the Germans make up the majority of foreign regatta participants with a total of eleven crews spread across five classes. In the ClubSwan 50 category, a one-design class for sailing yachts from the Swedish luxury shipyard Nautor’s Swan, five out of the nine listed yachts sail under the German flag. One of them is the eye-catching “Earlybird,” owned and steered by Hendrik Brandis, a millionaire co-founder of the venture capital firm Earlybird and one of Germany’s most ambitious and successful sailing patrons. Brandis has already won the Club Swan World Championship five times and was the vice-world champion in the past two years.

“The Copa del Rey is the most internationally renowned regatta in Europe, attracting some of the world’s best sailors every year,” says Manu Fraga, CEO of the Real Club Náutico in Palma (RCNP), the yacht club that has been hosting Copa del Rey for over 40 years.

Over the years, little has changed regarding the event’s organization and the framework program. One aspect that remains unchanged is that the largest sailing regatta in the Mediterranean mostly takes place behind closed doors, with limited public access. Unlike similar events in Europe, such as Kiel Week in Germany or Cowes Week in England, which offer weeks of diverse entertainment, including cultural events, music concerts, film screenings, open-air activities, and gastronomic offerings to thousands of visitors and locals, the Copa del Rey, sponsored by the Spanish insurance company Mapfre, is predominantly reserved for the sailors, invited guests, other sponsors, and the maritime elite on the island.