After three days of intense racing off the coast of Valencia, Fala Pouco, a Dufour 40 DK owned by Andrés Manresa and skippered by José Ballester of RCN Torrevieja, has been crowned the overall winner of the XXVI Trofeo S.M. La Reina – XXXVII Copa Almirante Marcial Sánchez-Barcaíztegui. Dominating the ORC3 – Energy Nautic Services class with three firsts, two seconds, and a sixth-place finish, Fala Pouco succeeds Lisa R as the regatta’s top performer.
Racing conditions on the final day began with a 6-knot easterly breeze (90°), gradually shifting throughout the day to 125°, offering a tactical challenge across all three race courses — Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie — off El Saler, Pinedo, and El Perelló.
Class Winners – Trofeo SM La Reina 2025
- ORC0 – Mercedes Valdisa: Vudú (T52, Mauro Gestri) dominated with two wins on the final day, securing overall victory ahead of Urbania (Soto 52, Tomás Gasset) and Bluenext (TP52, Bonfiglio Marotti).
- ORC1 – Varadero Valencia: Selene Alifax (Swan 42, Massimo de Campo) maintained consistency to edge out Mercedes-Benz Valdisa (DK46, Rolf Alf Der Maur) and Pez de Abril (José María Meseguer), despite strong performances from Hydra HM Hospitales.
- ORC2 – MSC: Katara (PG390, Julian Somodi, Argentina) secured double victories on Sunday to claim the class title, finishing ahead of L’Immens (Nicolas Pesich) and Mágica (Marco Corno).
- ORC3 – Energy Nautic Services: With a commanding lead, Fala Pouco sealed the overall regatta win. Sarchiapone Fuoriserie (Gianluigi Dubbini) and DE 6 (Asociación Deportiva Canaleta) rounded out the top three.
- ORC4 – Occident: Lassal (Gonzalo Calvo) delivered an unbeaten weekend, despite strong challenges from Índigo (Pedro Siquier) and Dax (Sergio Durá).
- J80 – Royal Blis: Les Roches/Crisandkim Travel, helmed by María Bover and owned by Pepequin Orbaneja, won both races on Sunday to clinch the title ahead of Lotsafun (Tony Hayward) and Sal (Neus Ballester).
- ORC Open – Sportnautic: Davincy (Ignacio Roig) completed a clean sweep of the event, followed by Pestañeo (Javier Moreno) and Ziving (Javier Arbona).
- Promoción: Staxx (Raúl Bombín) capped off a stellar regatta with another win on the final day, finishing ahead of Valentina (José Alfredo López) and Bolero.
International Prestige and Top-Level Competition
With over 100 yachts and 1,000 sailors representing 11 countries — including Spain, Italy, Germany, UK, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Switzerland, Montenegro, Turkey, UAE, and Argentina — the regatta solidified its reputation as one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious sailing events.
The fleet included numerous sailors with Olympic, World Championship, America’s Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race credentials, ensuring high-caliber competition across every class.
Earlier in the week, Pampero of Down (Rodrigo Quesada) claimed victory in the Offshore ORC A2 race after completing the 161-nautical-mile course to Ibiza and back.
A Mediterranean Benchmark
Organized by the Real Club Náutico de Valencia (RCNV) on behalf of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) and in partnership with the Valencian Sailing Federation (FVCV), the Trofeo SM La Reina is supported by a host of national and regional institutions and forms part of the Mediterranean Sailing Circuit and the Lliga de Creuers de la Comunitat Valenciana.
The event pays homage to the Spanish Navy and is sponsored by key partners including Mercedes Valdisa, Varadero Valencia, MSC, Energy Nautic Services, Occident, Sportnautic, Royal Blis, and many more.
With Fala Pouco’s name now etched into Valencia’s regatta history, all eyes turn to 2026, where the Trofeo SM La Reina will return to showcase the very best of Mediterranean sailing.
