"Spartan" crossing the line of arrival in Mahón (Nico Martínez)

Spartan (1912), in Big Boats; Kelpie (1903), in Crab Epoch; Rowdy (1916), in Marconi Epoch; Argos (1964), in Classics; and Calima (1970), in the Spirit of Tradition, were crowned champions of the XIII Cup of the King of Epoque Boats organized by the Mahon Maritime Club, which brought together, from Thursday to today (24 to 27 August), a fleet of 42 vessels representing ten countries.

The third and last day of race, disputed over a 8.6-mile tour of the north coast of Menorca with the soft wind of the SE (Xaloc), did not show surprises in most classes, where the leaders had left the victory well tied yesterday Friday. The American Spartan (1912), the last survivor of the mythical NY50 fleet of nine units designed by Herreshoff, had no rival between the Big Boats even though it was the smallest ship in the category. With its 23 meters in length, it was imposed with a rotunity on the Moonbeam III (1903), 30 meters; on the Shenandoa (1902), 50 meters and three masts with an auric gear; on the Xarifa (1927), also of three sticks and 49 meters; and on the Caroly of the Italian Navy, 24 meters.

There was competition, and much, in the Crab Time class, where the fleet's oldest ship, the Marigan cutter (1898), of Tim Liessenhoff, and the Kelpie (1903) of Pelham Olive, fought until the last board. The final victory in the general classification was for the latter, which today was imposed on a race without great tactical demands with two minutes of advantage in compensated time. Marigan was unable to revalidate his victory last year and the Kelpie achieved his best result in a Cup of the King of the Epoco, after the second place obtained in 2013. The Santanderino Gipsy (1927), who was never in the struggle for triumph, was ranked in the third position.

The Argos (1964) added its third Cup of the King of the Sea of Epoch (the second consecutive) to the category of Classics (ships launched between 1950 and 1975) after today's third race was awarded and imposed on the Galvana (1975), of the Pella brothers, who did not have their best day. The team of the shipowner Neoyorkina Barbara Trilling, patrolling by Eduardo Méndez and sailing on behalf of the Nautical Club of Altea, proved to be a very competitive ship with little wind. On the first day he gave up the first position of the classification to Galvana, after the jury reconsidered a penalty of the rating of the Galvana, but the next two days he gave no choice and was just the winner. The third square was the Guia (1970), by Ramon Rose Batlló, whose best result was the second place achieved in the second day. It should be noted that in the caterem of Classics those classified between second and seventh are Sparkman & Stephens designs.

FINAL CLASSIFICATIONS

Big Boat

1. Spartan (1912), Ngh Restoration
2. MoonbeamIII (1903), Sarl Moonbeam
3. Carody (1948), Marina Militare Italiana

Crab time

1. Kelpie (1903), Pelham Olive
2. Marigan (1898), Tim Liesenhoff
3. Gipsy (1927), Miguel Rigo

Marconi time

1. Rowdy (1916), Howard Dyer
2. Fjord III (1947), Christine Fox Perry
3. Sonata (1937), Jordi Cabau

Classic

1. Argos (1964), Barbara Trilling
2. Galvana (1975), Pella Brothers
3. Guia (1970), Ramón Rose Batlló

Spirit tradition

1. Calima (1970), Javier Pujol
2. Lohengrin (1974), Paco Bacquelaine
3. Six Jaguar (1979), Toni Ball

"Spartan" and "Rowdy" are playing the Big Boats victory in the King of Classics Cup (27 / 08 / 2016)

The two oldest sailboats in the fleet (1903 and 1898), which compete in the Epoco Craja class, are the ones that keep the fight closed. The Spartan and the Rowdy have everything in their face to win in the Big Boat and Marconi Epoo classes. Argos and Calima, leaders in Classics and Spirit of Tradition.

The fleet of the XIII Cup of the King of the Sea of Epoch again today lived a second day marked by the low intensity of the wind, which blew from the SE (Xaloc, according to the name it receives in the Balearic Islands) and, as it already happened in the premiere, never exceeded the 8 knots of intensity.

The Regatas Committee opted for a coastal tour that was initially to be 17 miles and ended in 12 due to the fall and wobble of the wind. The fleet sailed from the mouth of the port of Mahon, doubled a beacon located near Cap den Font and passed by the Air Island (port on the way and starboard on the turn). All classes were able to complete the journey and add a new result in the general, which for the moment consists of two sleeves.

BIG BOATS

The Spartan (1912), the American sailboat patrolling by Justin Burman, practically ensured the victory of the King's Cup in the Big Boats class (more than 23 meters in length) after a new exhibition of skill. The NY50 class cutter (belonging to a fleet that at the beginning of the 20th century had nine ships) crossed the arrival line in first position with an 18-minute advantage over the French Moonbeam III, a beautiful William Fife III design of 1903 and 30 meters in length that in theory, taking into account the rating of both ships, should sail ahead of its rival. But once the times were corrected, the Spartan took two more minutes.

The remaining three Big Boats present in the race - Shenandoa (1902), Xarifa (1927) and Caroly (1927) - are certainly very spectacular ships (between the three they add up to 120 meters and seven masts), but they are not in a position to enter the fight for the triumph given their high displacement.

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The three-point tie in the head of the Epoco Craja class (ships launched until 1950 with trapezoidal sailing gear) between the Kelpie (1903) and the Marigan (1898) augurs a very exciting final day. Both are the oldest sailboats in the fleet and those that are keeping a more closed fight of the 42 that participate in the Cup of the King of the Sea of Epoch. The Kelpie, a design of Alfred Mylne restored between 2009 and 2011 in the British Fairlie shipyards, today surpassed in four minutes the German cutter armed by Tim Liensenhoff after a very hard race for both ships, very uncomfortable to sail with windows.

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In the Epoco Marconi class (before 1950 with a triangular candle), the British Rowdy (1916) did not give option to Argentine Fjord III (1947). The first is a very fast Nathanael Herreshoff design that always sails in the head of the fleet. He was the first to finish the race, with 18 minutes on the second one classified - Delphis (1930) - and was left nine after the application of the formula that balances the differences between the ships to be imposed on the one who has revealed himself as his main adversary, the Fjord III, designed by Germán Frers I and patrolled in the XIII Cup of the King of Epoco by Germán Frers II, which follows him in the second square of the provisional general.

The 1916 Rowdy will fight for triumph in menorcan waters. Photo: Martínez Studio

CLASSIC

In the category of Classics (ships launched between 1950 and 1975), the Argos (1964) framed the one that could be his third victory in the 13th King's Cup, after those obtained in 2012 and 2015. Today was a good day for the crew of the shipowner Barbara Trilling, who obtained a margin of seven and a half minutes in compensation on the second classified, the Sparkman and Stephens (S & S) Guide (1970), by Ramón Rose, which is placed in third position of the general behind the Galvana (1975), by Alex Pella. The team of the ocean navigator could not repeat the partial triumph of the inaugural manga. A single point separates the Argos, design of Holman, from the Galvanan (S & S) in the absence of a single race for the end.

TRADITION SPIRIT

The Calima (1970), by Javier Pujol, maintains the leadership in the Spirit of Tradition class, although today it was overcome in four minutes in compensation for the Lohengrin, the Puma 34 of Paco Bacquelaine. The ship of the Club Marítimo de Mahón will not be able to take off on the day tomorrow if you want to add your eleventh victory in the Cup of the King of the Sea of Epoch. A single point separates both ships.

PROTAGONISTS

Barbara Trilling, shipowner of the Argos (1964)

"Despite the little wind, I think we've done a great test. Although we haven't prepared much, we come here with the intention of winning. Except me, I'm New York, and the Italian tactic, Vittorio Mariane, are all Spanish here. Good people and great sailors. We defend the pavilion of the Nautical Club of Altea"

Martin Billoch, pattern of the Delphis (1930)

"We are running very uncomfortable with a rating that is not ours.
The little wind to us favors us. We're happy because we're running a good race, without any brilliance but carrying the boat pretty fast. Besides, we find the place amazing. The island is amazing, a place and some very nice tours for a race. "

Jordi del Tarré, patron of the Lohengrim (1974)

"Our victory is the result of a very good way out and of the choice in the buoy located between Air Island and Binibeca. We choose to go very close to the ground and get it right. The wind was loose, but we're a regular crew whatever the circumstances are. Last year there was more wind and so did we. We clearly want to win the competition but the big favorite is our top rival, the Calima. Success will be decided on the last day. Therefore, tomorrow we will go out for all."

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

Classic

1. Argos (1964), Barbara Trilling
2. Galvana (1975), Pella Brothers
3. Guía (1970), Ramón Rose Batlló

Crab time

1. Kelpie (1903), Pelham Olive
2. Marigan (1898), Tim Liesenhoff
3. Gipsy (1927), Ricardo Rubio

Marconi time

1. Rowdy (1916), Howard Dyer
2. Fjord III (1947), Christine Fox Perry
3. Delphis (1930), Daniel Sielecki

Big Boats

1. Spartan (1913), Ngh Restoration
2. MoonbeamIII (1903), Sarl Moonbeam
3. Carody (1948), Marina Militare Italiana

Spirit tradition

1. Calima (1970), Javier Pujol
2. Lohengrin (1978), Paco Bacquelaine
3. Legolas (1996), Jens Ricke

"Spartan" takes the lead in the Big Boats at the XIII Cup of the King of the Sea of Epoch (25 / 08 / 2016)

Shenandoa (1902), 50 meters, the largest sailboat in the fleet (Nico Martínez)

The 1912 American sailboat premiered with victory in the Big Boat class after an exciting fight with the Moonbeam III. Marigan (1898) is the leader of the general and seeks to revalidate the title in the Epoo Craja class. Rowdy (1916), in Epoo Marconi; Galvana (1975), in Classics, and Calima (1970), in Spirit of Tradition, complete the picture of honor after a first day marked by the low intensity of the wind.

Little wind, but enough for a fleet of legend, which runs through the history of the recreational naval heritage of the 19th and 20th centuries, today premiered the XIII Cup of the King of the Ships of the time of Mahon (Menorca). The newly restored Spartan (1912), which has sailed from the United States to Europe to participate in different races of classic Mediterranean circuit, was the great protagonist of the day by imposing itself with authority in the Big Boats class, where the larger sailboats compete.

The American boat is, with 23 meters, the smallest and least heavy in its category, which, given the low intensity of the wind, offered it some advantage over its most direct rival, the Moonbeam III (1903). The rest of the "giants" of the King's Cup - Caroly (1948), the Xarifa (1927) and the Shenandoa (1902) - were greatly damaged by weather: the wind of Levante did not exceed 8 knots on any stretch of the coastal route, of just over 8 miles.

Tim Liesenhoff, owner and patron of the Marigan (1898), the oldest of the fleet participating in the race, developed perfectly in these conditions and was placed in front of the general classification of the Epoo Craja class (ships launched until 1950 with auric gear) ahead of one of its eternal adversaries, the British Kelpie (1903), armed by Pelham Olive. It entered with six minutes of real-time advantage, but remained a minute and a half behind the German cutter after the time compensation. The struggle between these two ships is presented as one of the most exciting of the XIII Cup of the King of Mahon. The Marigan, which comes from winning the XXII Regata Illes Balears Classics of the Club de Mar, defends the title obtained last year.

Much more comfortable was the victory of English Rowdy (1916), of shipowner Howard Dyer, in the Epoco Marconi class (until 1950 with triangular candle). He sold in real time and obtained eight minutes of margin over the Fjord IIII, by Christine Fox Perry, a 1947 German Frers I design that competes under the flag of the Yacht Club Argentino and is patrolled in the King of Mahon Cup by Germán Frers II, who at its 75 age is the most veteran cane in the fleet, in addition to one of the world's most important naval architects. The Argentine also Delphis (1930), by Daniel Sielecki, crossed the line of arrival in compensation 16 seconds from Fjord III.

The Galvana (1975), patronized by the lonely ocean navigator Álex Pella, was the leader of the group of Classics (1950-1975), ahead of the Argos (1964), representing the Nautical Club of Altea, and the Lys (1956), the Yacht Club of Monaco. The sloop of the Real Club Nautico of Barcelona was the fastest in the fleet in real and still has time to ride in almost six minutes to the second classified. Pella's are looking for their first victory in Mahón, while the Argos is fighting to get their third King's Cup, after those won in 2012 and 2015.

Another ship ready to enlarge its legend is the Calima (1970), which from today is closer to achieving its eleventh triumph in the Spirit class of Tradition. He won the premiere and put water in between the Lohengrin (1974), Puma 34 of Paco Bacquelaine, which a priori appeared as its main rival and was third. The second position was the Legolas (1996), by Jens Ricke.

The competition will resume tomorrow, from 12.30 p.m. The forecast is once again of little wind.

GLOBAL DECLARATIONS
Spartan - Justin Burman (pattern) "It has been a day of challenges for all; the wind has been very changing and we have had to try to keep the concentration at all times to get the ship carried properly. We're a great team, good friends both on and off the boat. We love the Spartan, we have a good time on board and we always try to give the most. We are very competitive but it is our first year in Mahon and we are enjoying it. It's impressive to go in and out of the port. Our goal is to go out and have a good time; getting on the podium is a plus." Rowdy - Brendan McCarty (pattern) "We are very happy with today's result. It's been a very difficult day. To be able to navigate along with other ships and to gain positions in race is very comforting. At first time has not accompanied, but then a breeze of 7-8 knots has been established, perfect for us, so the day has gone very well. In addition, it seems that time will be the same in the coming days; we can correct today's mistakes and fight for victory." Galvana - Alex Pella (pattern) "When I arrived at port I had a fall to see that we were ranked in tenth position after having entered first. There was a mistake in our documentation and we had been penalized, but it has been possible to correct and we have set up leaders. I'm used to competing in real time and I don't have to worry about these things."