Copa Del Rey Audi Mapfre Day 1 early leaders

6:25 PM Mon 1 Aug 2011 GMT

'Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre 2011 Day 1' Nico Martinez &copy Click Here to view large photo

The Copa Del Rey Audi Mapfre's first day of action on the water witnessed German TP52 Container and Swan 45 Earlybird each sign two bullets in the day's two races to lead the IRC A and B scoring boards respectively.

The opening day welcomed competitors with two windward-leeward races which started at 13:00 hours as scheduled, thanks to a reliable sea breeze which picked up to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Container, Earlybird, Nextel Engineering and Rats on Fire become early leaders after signing two bullets in IRC A, IRC B, J-80 and RI 1 respectively, whereas competition was tighter in X-35 and RI 2.

Container IRC1 - Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre 2011 Day 1 - Nico Martinez &copy Click Here to view large photo

J-80 world champion Ignacio Camino also scored two victories in as many races today, whereas a very tight contest in the X-35 class saw X on the Beach and Nextel Engineering win today.

Markus Wieser's Container two back to back wins in the two opening races place her first in the IRC A group after times were compensated, though first to cross the finish line in the first and second race were English flagged Stuart Branson's Jethou and George Sakellaris Shockwave. Wieser's TP was able to lead from the first beat and extend on Jos? Cus?'s Brib?n, which was second and third, what leaves them set in second overall after day one, followed by HRH Felipe de Borb?n helmed Hispano, which was fourth and second. Ex-Alinghi Brad Butterworth is fourth at the helm of Jethou.

Good results for Germany in the IRC B division which sees three German flagged boats in the three top positions after day one: Hendrik Brandis Swan 45 Earlybird, Bernard Xiberras Speedy and Emma of Johann Killinger.

J-80 world champion Ignacio Camino performed as dominantly in the one design class division, and is first after today's two bullets. Two times Starr world champion To?o Gorostegui is second, after a sixth and a second place, whereas Olympic Finn gold medalist Jose Mar?a Van der Ploeg's Factorenergia - Great Sailing Quum is third.

Racing was much more tight in the X-35 class, where just four boats stand within three points. Who's next finished the day with a first and a fourth to lead the overall standings ahead of Red El?ctrica de Espa?a of Javier Sanz, and Ingo Dietrich's X on the beach is third tied in points with the local Spanish boat.

Defending champion Rafael Carbonell's Rats on Fire prevailed again in the RI 1 division, with two bullets in the Bravo race area, opposite to the port of Palma, where the largest fleet of the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre delivered the tightest racing of the day: Cuadernos Rubio, Luso Roux and Mapfre were second, third and fourth, same result as in the second race, and all of them finished within one minute distance after times were compensated.

The Melges 32 fleet will make its much expected debut tomorrow in the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre after today's practice race held in the Charly area, the same one in which the IRC fleet was racing.