Danes win 49er Cup event

Event organisers try out new TV friendly race format in SwedenMikkel Thommessen

The third event and the first of two on the Scandinavian Tour of the 49er World Cup took place in Swedish Stenungsund over the weekend. 16 teams from five countries sailed the Open Swedish Championhips which counted as qualifying for the subsequent World Cup.

The condition were excellent with 8-12 knots wind on all days, culminated in the six boat final on today. The Swedish championship medals went to Chris Nicholson/Gary Boyd (AUS), Christoffer Sundby/Frode Bovim (NOR) and Michael Hestbaek/Dennis Dengso Andersen in that order while Marcus Haas/Christoffer Haas (SWE), Allan Norregaard/Klaus Naus (DEN) and Peter Backe/Anders Bengtsson SWE joined them
in the finals.

The Scandinavian organiser, Prosail, decided to test a new format of racing for the finals in order to improve sailing for TV and to bring the understanding of sailing close to that of other sports where the winner of the last heat indeed is the winner of the event. The six boat finals started with an elimination series, throwing out one boat after each of the first three races.

The first to go where the two Swedish teams of Backe/Bengtsson and the Haas brothers while it was somewhat surprising to see the triple 49er World Champions Chris Nicholson/Gary Boyd eliminated in the third, thus leaving two Danish and a Norwegian team to fight off the final sail off where the first boat to win two races would be the ultimate winner of the regatta.

Norregaard/Naur took the start of the first race and held on to their lead throughout the race, leaving Sundby/Bovim and Hesbbaek/Andersen in their wake. Hestbaek/Andersen took an early lead in the second race, only to lose it to Sundby/Bovim on a 30 degree windshift on the second leg.

In the final race Norregaard/Naur again took the start on the extremely short startingline and the team held on to the lead except for a brief moment at the second windward mark when their compatriots managed to threaten. On the last downwind leg however, the young Danes powered away and when on to their first major victory.

49er World Cup results overall after thee events (of six).

1. Hestbaek/Andersen DEN 26 p
2. Audineau/Christedes FRA 15 p
3. Nakamura/Takei JPN 12 p
3. Turnbull/Partrigde AUS 12 p
5. Norregaard/Naus DEN 10 p
5. Larson/Kock USA 10 p
7. Sundby/Bovim NOR 9 p
7. Sibello/Sibello ITA 9 p
9. Bergan/Maxon USA 8 p
10. Nicholson/Boyd AUS 7 p
11. Haas/Haas SWE 6 p
12. Walser/Buettner SUI 5 p
12. Backe/Bengtsson SWE 5 p
14. Sakama/Kida JPN 4 p
14. Brekke/Hopstock NOR 4 p
14. Vigne/Gatti FRA 4 p
17. Netterlig/Lindberg SWE 3
17. Kocholl/Kocholl AUT 3 p
19. Warrer/Kruger Andersen DEN 2 p
19. Vaccondio/Fransesco ITA 2 p
19. D´Amico/Bella ITA 2 p
22. Jahre/Kirkeland NOR 1 p
22. Levayer/Foulogne FRA 1 p

The next 49er World Cup regatta starts in Rungsted, Denmark 19th June