X-35 Class at the Copa del Rey - Day 1

A perfect opening day at the Copa del Rey © Nico Martinez

The first racing of the Copa del Rey 2008 started in perfect conditions as the 25 X-35s gently motored their way out to race course Alpha. For the first time this year, the fleets will rotate around three course areas in the Bay of Palma to keep the tacticians on their toes.

Racing started on time and after a clean start from the Swan 45 fleet, the X-35s also got away without a recall. With 12 knots and flat water, only interrupted by wash from the press boats, the pack progressed quickly up the 1.8 mile beat and, as normal with the onshore thermal breeze in Palma, the boats favoured the left hand side of the track. As the fleet approached the top mark it was the northern European boats that dominated the top ten. Having all trained and competed in Holland for the last two years, British Cool Runnings led from Quantum Holland, closely followed by fellow Dutch boat Just for Fun and British Perfect Ten. Across the two laps, racing remained tight at the top, but Stihl from Germany moved into 4th place before the downwind finish gate as Perfect Ten had problems with their spinnaker hoist and slipped a position.

After only a short turn-around, the warning signals for race 2 were underway. With the sea-breeze now settled and the windward mark moved 20 degrees to the left, the short start line proved an exciting place for 25 one-design yachts. As the tightly packed fleet detangled themselves after the start, Nic Bol of Quantum Holland led from Cool Runnings followed by the Italian X-Trifix. Bol led for the majority of the race but lost it on the last run to allow Mario Rabbo’s X-Trifix into first place.

Overnight, Cool Runnings leads from Quantum Holland, with German Stihl in third. Race three commences at 1pm Tuesday.