Despite being twins, they had never raced together in Mahón due to their different rigs. The change of Rowdy to the Cangreja class will make for an exciting match race.

The XX Copa del Rey de Barcos de Época de Mahón will be the scene of an unprecedented rivalry this year, thanks to the change in the rigging of the historic sailing boat Rowdy. This boat, which for the first time in almost a century has replaced its traditional Bermudian rig with a crab rig, will be able to compete directly against its sister ship, the Chinook. Both boats, designed by the legendary Nathaniel Herreshoff and launched in 1916, belong to the NY40 class. This technical adjustment has allowed both to compete in the same category, turning the Menorcan regatta into a sort of match race.

The Rowdy, owned by owner Donna Dyer, will sail with its new crab rig for the first time in Mahón. This change not only revitalises the boat's history, but also alters the racing dynamics in the Crab Epoch class. From now on, the Rowdy will race almost in real time against the Chinook. This promises to be one of the most exciting clashes of the King's Cup, considering the parity of performance and crews, professional in both cases.

On the other hand, the Chinook, built by Paolo Zanoni, CEO of Prada, is also ready to prove its worth at sea. Unlike other competitors in this year's Crab Epoch class, such as Gipsy and Freda, which pose no threat to the two NY40s, Chinook is shaping up to be a formidable opponent.

Both boats already know what it is like to win the Vintage King's Cup in their respective categories, which adds an extra element of interest to their rivalry. The Chinook won the Cangreja Vintage class in the 2013 and 2014 editions, while the Rowdy has shown great solvency over the years, winning the title in the Bermudian Vintage class in 2008, 2015 and 2016. This background reinforces the expectation of a hotly contested duel in the Copa del Rey starting tomorrow.

In the photo, Rowdy (left) and Chinook moored in the port of Mahón.