Sailing: Bribon wins the crown for Spanish monarch

While the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, was contemplating a siesta yesterday, his yacht, Bribon, was securing the Trofeo de Alicante for winning the first Breitling MedCup regatta without a blow being struck in anger.

There was no blow at all as a racing breeze refused to develop so the 22 of the 23 TP52s boats still standing could only turn on their engines and head back to dock. The 23rd, Alfonso Domingos' Bigamist 6, had retired hurt the previous day as Bouwe Bekking took Bribon to an emphatic coastal race victory which was to prove decisive.

His eight-point advantage over Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine turned the event into a Dutch one-two, with Italy's Vasco Vascotto third on the Spanish boat Mutua Madrilena.

Earlier in the week it had seemed the battle for the top spot would be between Russell Coutts in the Swedish-flagged Artemis and Ian Walker on the Galway-based Patches. A penalty and gear damage respectively scuppered their chances as they finished fourth and sixth but, as the season develops, they should be the boats to beat.