Hoegh Christensen clinches victory

The Dane has won the 50th Finn Gold Cup in Croatia

Jonas Hoegh Christensen has proved this week he really is the No 1 Finn sailor in the World by winning the 50th Finn Gold Cup. He had to face some of the best sailors in a fierce competition where the smallest mistakes paid dearly. One of the most closely fought Finn Gold Cup in years; the event assembled 99 sailors from over 30 countries on the same starting line.

Hoegh Christensen’s display of skills was impressive in a field of talented opponents and in varied conditions. He is winning by a small three points margin from Emilios Papathanasiou. The Greek won the last race with but his second victory in the Championship was not enough to overcome the Dane. The Bronze medal goes to Ed Wright who raced the most constant regatta scoring only top ten results rounding off the week with a second place in this last race.  Ed Wright has made a rapid progression in the class after stepping from the Laser to the Finn last year. Also coming from the Laser is Daniel Birgmark who is jumps into fourth position after finishing seventh in the last race.

Rafael Trujillo was probably the fastest sailor in this regatta, the early leader won three races over the course of the week. However, the Bura - a shifty northerly wind - has been fatal for the Athens Silver medallist who collected a 39th today and misses the podium ending the event in fifth position overall. It was the Opposite situation for Guillaume Florent who after a slow start into the championship scored a fifth and two fourth places. He has finished in sixth position after taking one year off. 

The best Croatian is yesterday race winner, Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic in eighth position. He will pass on the Jorg Bruder Silver Cup to the new Junior World Champion, Mark Andrews (GBR). Second Junior is Henry Bagnall also from Great Britain. The third position in the Junior division has been fought for very hard during all week. After a very slow start into the Championship, Piotr Kula has reached the third place by distancing his teammates Krzysztof Dabkowski and Piotr Mazur by a few points. Piotr Kula is satisfied with his results, despite collecting two disqualifications, he is placed 50th overall in his first major Finn regatta. The 19 year old has achieved his best result in Kiel Week finishing 18th after a few months in the Finn.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Nationality	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Tot
1	CHRISTENSEN JONAS HOGH	DEN 2	2	4	2	5	1	3	*33	6	23
2	PAPATHANASIOU EMILIOS	GRE 7	4	1	5	10	2	*DSQ	3	1	26
3	WRIGHT EDWARD	GBR 111	1	*10	7	2	3	10	7	2	32
4	BIRGMARK DANIEL	SWE 11	11	6	3	8	15	4	*27	7	54
5	TRUJILLO RAFAEL JOAQUIN	ESP 100	9	2	1	1	8	1	34	*38	56
6	GUILLAME FLORENT	FRA 73	*19	11	12	11	16	5	4	4	63
7	TILLANDER JOHAN	SWE 736	12	5	13	6	7	14	*16	12	69
8	KLJAKOVIĆ GAŠPIĆ IVAN	CRO 524	5	12	*OCS	18	10	17	1	10	73
9	COOK CHRISTOPHER	CAN 41	*21	7	10	13	14	11	12	9	76
10	HOWARD MATT	GBR 550	6	13	6	*68	9	13	13	19	79
11	PERCY IAIN	GBR 54	7	3	21	12	4	8	28	*RAF	83
12	POSTMA PIETER JAN	NED 842	8	23	4	*39	19	2	21	16	93
13	MOBERG PEER	NOR 1	10	9	14	*32	11	25	11	13	93
14	NOSSITER ANTHONY	AUS 221	25	14	22	20	17	9	*46	3	110
15	VINČEC GAŠPER	SLO 5	*BFD	29	8	22	13	7	6	28	113
16	RAUDASCHL FLORIAN	AUT 271	16	*34	19	4	27	16	17	17	116
17	KURET KARLO	CRO 11	37	20	26	7	6	6	14	*44	116
18	SLATER DANIEL	NZL 1	3	8	*OCS	19	12	18	30	33	123
19	SZUKIEL WACLAW	POL 12	32	28	*38	3	5	26	24	8	126
20	TAPIO NIRKKO	FIN 216	23	15	9	27	*34	24	2	27	127
21	ARRARTE PABLO	ESP 310	27	25	*29	17	23	12	10	24	138
22	MAIER MICHAEL	CZE 1	34	16	*47	16	26	23	8	21	144
23	ISMAEL BRUNO	FRA 972	15	22	31	14	22	*43	35	11	150
24	O'GRADY AARON	IRL 10	31	19	35	*42	25	19	37	5	171
25	GREIG ED	GBR 625	38	26	11	*52	36	15	19	29	174
26	MIŠURA MARIN	CRO 25	28	17	34	36	*44	20	9	32	176
27	SZUKIEL RAFAL	POL 7	17	18	33	29	29	22	*39	37	185
28	GOODBODY TIMOTHY	IRL 5	26	37	16	9	31	31	*53	39	189
29	RAILEY ZACH	USA 4	22	21	27	*71	20	27	22	51	190
30	GUZYS GIEDRIUS	LTU 7	14	30	30	*43	41	21	20	41	197
31	ANDREWS MARK	GBR 88	24	27	24	34	35	29	*50	25	198
32	DRAGOUTSIS ALEXANDROS	GRE 8	18	31	48	15	32	32	43	*60	219
33	MIŠURA BARTUL	CRO 69	40	24	23	53	33	*62	23	26	222
34	TOMAŠEVIĆ EMIL	CRO 16	20	35	40	*70	43	34	38	20	230
35	LIDARIK RUDOLF	CZE 3	30	50	46	40	38	*56	15	18	237