THE King of Spain has to be content with second in the Copa del rey sailing regatta which ended in Palma on Sunday.
The winning yachts were Caixa Galicia in the IMS 500 class and Italtel in the IMS 600.
For Caixa skippered by Roberto Berúdez, this is their second consecutive victory in Palma while for Italtel and its skipper Vasco Vascotto beating a highly competitive field of over 709 yachts from all over the world in the bay of Palma, was a great achievement. They won five of the nine races. This year is a special year for the Real Club Nautico which hosted the 22nd Copa del Rey as it is fronting the bid for the 2007 America's Cup.
32 America's Cup yachtsmen were racing in Palma last week and the event acted as a showcase to the Cup selection committee. Now all the yachting attention turns to the Conde de Barcelona classic yacht regatta later this month.
Caixa Galicia and Italtel win the Copa del Rey