A new Women´s Cup in the 42nd edition of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE

2019 was a year of great changes in the Copa del Rey MAPFRE. One of the major novelties of the 38th edition was the launch of the Women's Cup, which aimed to encourage the participation of women in the sport of sailing. Five years later, the Real Club Náutico de Palma continues to vouch for this model of women's sailing and announces a brand-new format of competition for this year's 42nd edition of the Mediterranean's prime sailing event.

One of the major features of this new edition is that the one designs used for the competition will be supplied by the organization, which significantly reduces costs and facilitates the logistics for the crews wishing to participate in the event.

Manuel Fraga, the director of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE, explained,

"This new model will undoubtedly facilitate a more accessible event for the crews. Costs will be largely reduced, and it is an initiative that continues to support women's sailing and the teams which are already consolidated in other circuits and currently competing at national level."

The competition format will also be different in this year's Women's Cup. The teams will be facing each other for the title in a 'Round Robin' form of racing, with all teams lining up against each other in various eliminatory rounds until reaching the grand finale.

"It is a method that is extremely competitive and very popular. It is also a type of sailing that is proving very successful, and we believe that it will be fitting formula for the regatta in the coming years. This year we are expecting to see over ten teams competing," added Fraga.

Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th July have been reserved for team registration and measurement, and the first official race of the Women's Cup will be on Wednesday 31st July. Four intense days of competition that will decide the new champions of the Copa del Rey MAPFRE.

The 42nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) and the Real Federación Española de Vela (RFEV, lit. Spanish Royal Sailing Federation), and sponsored by MAPFRE, with the institutional sponsorship of the Govern de les Illes Balears (Balearic Islands government), the Hon. Ayuntamiento de Palma (Palma Town Hall), and the collaboration of the Autoritat Portuaria de Balears (Balearic Islands Port Authority) and the Federación Balear de Vela (Balearic Islands Sailing Federation).