Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland - Day 1
by Robert Deaves 5 Jun 21:58 BST
5-7 June 2025
Ku-Ring-Gai III on 5.5 Metre Scandinavian Gold Cup Day 1 © Robert Deaves /
www.robertdeaves.uk
The Scandinavian Gold Cup opened Thursday in Sopot, Poland, with seven 5.5 Metres competing for this historic and iconic trophy that dates back to 1922. Unfortunately, there was not enough wind to even complete one race.
Meanwhile, next week's defending World Champions Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66, John Bacon, Edward Wright, Joost Houweling) won the only race completed in the President's Cup just six minutes inside the time limit.
Scandinavian Gold Cup
After a postponement on shore, the rain finally cleared and a light wind filled in and fleet was sent out for a 12.40 start in 6-8 knots. Local knowledge said go left, and most of the fleet did just that. However, New Moon III (BAH 25, Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov) started at the boat and tacked out right, as did The Jean Genie (GBR 43, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruairidh Scott), who were 10 seconds late for the start.
As they sailed out, they got more pressure and New Moon rounded the top mark with a big lead with The Jean Genie second and Marie-Françoise XXII (SUI 233, Jürg Menzi, Jürgen Eiermann, Christof Wilke), who went to the left corner, in third. The wind had already started to drop on the run and the second upwind was torturously long. Again, the leaders went offshore, while the four boats that headed inshore stopped dead and made little progress.
On the next downwind, New Moon avoided sailing into the dead area where the rest of the fleet was wallowing, and stayed offshore, but Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne Trond, Solli-Sæther), who had moved to second, split gybes and went inshore, found more wind (perhaps half a knot more than nothing) and led at the gate just as the race committee abandoned the race with no chance of any boat making the time limit.
President's Cup
Girls on Film (GBR 41, Louise Morton, Charlie Cumbley, Sam Haines) took the early lead before Ku-Ring-Gai III found the front, and then on the second upwind Otto (NOR 68, Bent Christian Wilhelmsen, Lasse Berthelsen, Herve Cunningham) took the lead.
With no restriction on shortening the races, the fleet was stopped at the bottom, with Ku-Ring-Gai III crossing the finish line in less than a knot of wind, with just six minutes left to the time limit. Otto crossed five minutes later and the rest of the fleet did not finish.
John Bacon said, "It's great to be here io Sopot. We're thrilled to be in the inaugural President's Cup. We started in a good breeze, but it died and got slower and slower, and eventually there was almost no wind, and we managed to cross the line with just minutes to go, so pleased with that. It was a long day to get one race in a but good to get a win even in those conditions. Any win is a good win."
Both fleets were then sent ashore and racing was later abandoned for the day. It was not quite the start that everyone wanted but Friday's forecast is better. Three races are planned for the President's Cup on Friday.