Estonian team crowned European champions of offshore sailing
The 43rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE regatta concluded Saturday in Mallorca. It was a strong finish for Estonia, as the crew of TECHNONICOL (X-41 mod), led by Mati Sepp, claimed the European championship title. In the same class, Ott Kikkas's team aboard SUGAR 3 (Italia Yachts 11.98) placed fourth out of a fleet of 34 yachts.
TECHNONICOL delivered consistent, high-level sailing throughout the week. The Estonian crew won two races, finished third twice and placed fourth in two more. Although they had to settle for 26th in the seventh race — ultimately discarded from the overall score — they maintained control of the regatta from start to finish. A 7.5th and a 3rd place on the final day sealed their ORC European Championship title.
Ott Kikkas's SUGAR 3, helmed by Sandro Montefusco, started strong by winning the offshore race and one of the inshore races, frequently finishing in the top three. However, several double-digit results— particularly an 11.5 and a 16th place — had a significant impact on their final standing. In the end, they finished fourth overall, narrowly missing the podium but remaining competitive throughout the week.
All teams that finished second, third and fourth were TECHNONICOL's main rivals. Italy's SIDERACORDIS (X-41), helmed by Pier Vettor Grimani, remained a constant presence near the top but ultimately finished seven points behind the Estonian crew.
GUARDAMAGO (Italia Yachts 11.98) from Italy, led by Massimo Romeo Piparo, had a strong start to the regatta but was unable to maintain momentum in the final days. A particularly costly 15th-place finish in the first race of the last day dropped them to third overall.
"This is huge for us — to win a European title at Copa del Rey! It's the biggest sailing competition in the Mediterranean — top-notch organization and perfect winds. To come here and win is just incredible. It feels like a dream. An amazing feeling," said Sepp.
"I think the key to our success is that we're a group of friends who sail for fun and really enjoy it. Today was a tough day because the fight among the top three was extremely close. The wind may have favored us a bit more today since we have a larger boat. But the pressure was constant throughout."
"This is also a big deal for Estonia — we're a small country among sailing giants. And we had two Estonian boats in the top four! I'm really proud of my country. We'll celebrate today, but tomorrow we're already preparing for the Garmin ORC World Championship in Tallinn— it's a packed summer!" Sepp added.
In ORC Class C, the silver medal went to Germany's EARLY BIRD (Cape 31), which included Estonian sailor Taavi Valter Taveter among its crew. Although EARLY BIRD led the regatta for most of the week, lighter winds in the final days saw them overtaken by the Spanish team NUNOTO CAFIVER (Vrolijk 37), who claimed the class title.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm, Marcus Turovski
