Second win for Frostad

Norwegian trimaran Academy takes line honours in Eurocard Gotland Runt reports Bob Fisher

A delighted Knut Frostad was able to celebrate his second successive victory in the Eurocard Gotland Runt. As last year his 60 foot trimaran Academy was first boat to cross the finish line at Skanskobb. Academy was nine minutes 16 seconds ahead of Bruno Peyron and Steve Ravussin in Stena Sovcomflot.

But not for the Norwegian skipper any record time; the light and variable winds put paid to that and so the 13.66 knots of 2004 still stands in the record books. The speed this year, over the 432 mile course was a mere 8.79 knots and it was in his strategic use of the breeze that Frostad was able to destroy the opposition, using the oldest trimaran in the Oops Cup fleet, for whom this was the eighth race of the 2005 series.

It was particularly tricky off Visby where the easterly breeze in the lee of the island left windless holes. "We rounded the mark and dove off to leeward very smartly," said Frostad. "We were only three minutes ahead of Nokia and Stena Sovcomflot was a further five minutes back. We stayed with some wind, but Stena sailed right into the hole and lost another five minutes."

Frostad was particularly pleased to beat Steve Ravussin and Bruno Peyron in Stena, the boat that replaced Academy as Banque Covefi on the French circuit. Academy was built to Nigel Irens’ designs in 1991 and three years ago Ravussin had said to Frostad, "You can buy this boat; I want to get rid of it." No wonder he was smiling when he sprayed the crew from a magnum of Bollinger at the start of the celebrations.

When asked how he had established a one hour lead in the early part of the race, Frostad cheekily replied: "By sailing smartly!" He added "and by being on the correct side of the course - we went south on the way to Almagrundet and then on the north side of the rhumb line on the next leg. We were lucky on the east side of Gotland, suddenly we lost the boats behind - they must have been caught in a parking lot."

At one stage, later in the race, all six trimarans were together, ‘even Bonduelle,’ (ironically the newest of the 60ft trimarans competing) and the race re-started, but Academy, which is two metres narrower than the newer boats found the light going much to her liking. That was as well for Frostad and fellow former djuice dragons crewman Espen Guttormsen, who tomorrow will start in the double-handed race to Sopot in Poland.

"That will be a fast race," said Frostad. "The easterly wind is forecast to stay and if, as I suspect, it goes round to the north-east, we will have some gibing and that will suit us."