BAMER makes its debut in sailing alongside the “Estrella Damm Sailing Team”
The countdown has already begun. Next Monday, the most important regatta in the Mediterranean — the Copa del Rey Mapfre — will take place in Palma de Mallorca, celebrating its 40th edition this year. Among the prestigious participants will be the Estrella Damm Sailing Team, which will have the technical support of Bamer Spain. The team has been put together by Nacho Montes and will be skippered by two-time Olympian Luis Martínez Doreste, sailing under the burgee of the Real Club Marítimo y Tenis de Punta Umbría.
After the Covid hiatus and a year of transition, the Copa del Rey Mapfre returns stronger than ever, featuring 110 teams from 18 different countries, divided into a total of nine classes. There are four classes under corrected time — BMW ORC 1, 2, 3, and 4 — and five one-design classes: ClubSwan 50, ClubSwan 42, ClubSwan 36, Herbalife J70, and the Mallorca Sotheby’s Women’s Cup, an all-female class competing in J80 boats.
Estrella Damm, with BAMER, to compete in the largest and most competitive class
In the BMW ORC 1 category — which brings together the largest boats, with a CDL above 14.500 — the Estrella Damm Sailing Team from the Real Club Marítimo y Tenis de Punta Umbría (champions in 2018 and 2019) will once again compete, this time with the support of Bamer Spain.
Also in this class will be the “Aifos 500” from the Spanish Navy, on board which H.M. King Felipe VI often sails. The defending champion, “HM International – Hydra”, owned by Óscar Chaves and helmed by Carlos Rodríguez, will also be on the starting line, along with the 2021 runners-up and recent ORC World Championship silver medalists, the Argentine team “From Now On”, owned by Fernando Chaín, as well as “Palibex”, skippered by Pichu Torcida from Santander. Without a doubt, it will be the most competitive class, with a total of 20 top-level teams.
Elite sailors trusted by Bamer
The Estrella Damm Sailing Team crew remains largely the same as in previous editions, with a few reinforcements this season. The team is made up of:
Gonzalo Morales (Lanzarote) – bow; Ricardo Terrades (Lanzarote) – mainsail trimmer; Adolfo López (Gran Canaria) – mast; Luis Martínez Doreste (Gran Canaria) – helm; Peter Fisher – mid-bow; Álvaro Fernández Candau and Paco Montes (Andalusia) – pit; Alfonso and Arturo Montes – cockpit; Nacho Murube (Seville) – spinnaker trimmer; Aleix Gelabert (Catalonia) – jib trimmer and ocean sailor (replacing Olympic gold medalist Roberto Molina, from the Canary Islands); Nacho Montes – headsail trimmer and project owner; Gonzalo Infante (Alicante) – navigation and meteorology; Toni Rivas (Barcelona) – tactician.
This exceptional crew boasts an impressive record: 12 world championships, 15 European titles, one Olympic gold medal, eight Olympic participations, one America’s Cup sailor, and one ocean navigator who finished 4th in the last edition of the Barcelona World Race, the non-stop, double-handed, round-the-world regatta.
DK46: A highly competitive boat
The yacht that the Estrella Damm Sailing Team will be sailing this year is once again a DK46, identical to the one they used in 2018 and 2019 when they claimed victory. Without a doubt, this model has repeatedly proven to be highly competitive, although it certainly doesn’t guarantee final success. Winning requires not only excellent racing but also facing a much stronger field this year, with identical boats such as “HM International – Hydra” and “Palibex,” as well as the formidable Swan 45s “From Now On,” “Urbania,” and “Ulika,” not to mention the larger yachts in the fleet, including three TP52s and three 50-footers also competing in the challenging ORC1 class.
New sail design and continuous optimization
Bamer and the Estrella Damm Sailing Team share the same high standards and drive for excellence. With their relentless pursuit of maximum performance, the team has once again entrusted the design and production of their sails to North Sails Spain, a sailmaker with a strong international reputation.
In addition, they have optimized the yacht based on the most likely weather conditions in the Bay of Palma and commissioned the specialists at QM Nautic in Badalona to prepare and fine-tune the hull.
Photos – Martinez Studio
