The XXII Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época is once again transforming the port of Mahón into a floating museum, with eight yachts more than 100 years old joining the 41-boat fleet competing this week.
From the 130-year-old Cariad, launched in 1896, to the Marilee and Bon Temps, both celebrating their centenary in 2026, these remarkable yachts represent more than 900 years of combined maritime history.
Cariad: 130 Years of Survival
The oldest yacht in the fleet, Cariad, was launched in 1896 by Summers & Payne in Southampton for the Earl of Dunraven. Considered one of the largest yachts built by Arthur Payne’s yard, the historic gaff ketch has travelled across the world during its long life.
After changing ownership more than ten times and eventually being abandoned in Thailand, Cariad was rescued and restored. A major revival completed in 2021 returned the 130-year-old yacht to the water and to the classic sailing circuit.
The Legends of the 15 Metre Class
Built in 1912, The Lady Anne was commissioned by George Coats and designed by William Fife III as a challenger to the German dominance of the 15 Metre class.
After a long and varied history—including conversion to a ketch and years of disappearance—the yacht was restored by Fairlie Restorations. Since 1999, she has been owned by Gonzalo Botín and has become one of the leading competitors in the international classic yacht circuit.
She arrives in Mahón as the reigning Big Boats champion of the Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Época.
Her contemporary, Dione, was also designed by William Fife III and launched in 1912. Originally named Enara, the yacht underwent several changes of rig and ownership before receiving a complete restoration in Argentina in 2012, exactly 100 years after her launch.
The Herreshoff Fighting Forties
Two of the most fascinating yachts in the fleet are Chinook and Rowdy, both NY40s designed by legendary American naval architect Nathanael Herreshoff.
Launched in 1916, Chinook was the eighth of the original New York Yacht Club 40s. After decades of neglect, she was discovered in the United States in 2010 and subsequently transported to Tunisia for a painstaking reconstruction based on Herreshoff’s original plans.
Her sistership Rowdy, also launched in 1916, has enjoyed an equally extraordinary history. She spent years sailing on the Great Lakes and in California, even serving as a houseboat, before being restored between 1998 and 2004.
Since returning to the classic circuit, Rowdy has become a formidable competitor. Since 2024, she has raced at the Copa del Rey with a gaff rig, creating a fascinating rivalry with Chinook.
Marilee: A Century of Innovation
Another surviving NY40, Marilee was built in Bristol, Rhode Island, in 1926 and celebrates her 100th anniversary in 2026.
Her restoration between 2014 and 2016 uncovered an extraordinary piece of history: an original 1933 drawing by Herreshoff for a Bermuda rig that had never been built.
The restoration team eventually constructed both the original gaff rig and the previously unrealised Bermuda configuration. In Mahón, Marilee is competing with her gaff rig, joining Rowdy and Chinook in one of the most intriguing classic yacht battles of the event.
Thea: 108 Years and Still Sailing
Built in Norway by Anker & Jensen and designed by Johan Anker, Thea was launched in 1918 as Santa for Jacob B. Stolt Nielsen.
The yacht was among the early vessels to adopt the Bermuda rig and was used as a testing platform for a measurement formula that later contributed to the development of the 12 Metre class.
Remarkably, Thea has had only four owners throughout her history and has never required a complete restoration. At 108 years old, she is making her first appearance in Mahón at this year’s Copa del Rey.
Bon Temps: Mallorca’s Own Centenarian
Perhaps the most locally significant yacht celebrating 100 years is Bon Temps, built in Palma on 17 March 1926 by Mallorcan mestre d’aixa Pere Nicolau Mandilego.
VELA CLÁSICA MENORCA
Commissioned by Ponsa Hermanos S.A., the yacht was originally intended to connect the business interests of the Godó family between Barcelona and Mallorca.
The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 interrupted her voyage, leaving Bon Temps stranded in Mahón throughout the conflict. Decades later, the yacht was rediscovered in Santander and recovered by the Godó family.
After surviving an onboard fire, Bon Temps has now reached another extraordinary milestone: a full century afloat.
A Living History of Sailing
Together, these eight yachts tell a remarkable story of innovation, war, abandonment, restoration and survival.
From Cariad, at 130 years old, to this year’s centenarians Marilee and Bon Temps, the fleet demonstrates why classic yacht racing remains one of the most compelling traditions in sailing.
For one week each August, Mahón becomes more than a regatta venue. It becomes a place where over nine centuries of nautical history continue to sail.
