Nokia Oops Cup to Finland

Racing for the three 60ft trimarans resumed this weekend

The fight between the 60ft trimarans in the Nokia Oops Cup, now takes itself to Helsinki, Finland. This Saturday, 5 August, the second half of the tri-nation sailing competition for the tris (between Sweden, Finland and Norway) kicks off with a speed race in Helsinki and followed by a Fleet race on Sunday, 6 August. That night the three trimarans will set sail from Helsinki on an offshore race to Copenhagen, the eighth of eleven rounds of Nokia Oops Cup.

At present the leaderboard is very tight between Swede Klabbe Nylöf's HiQ which is leading on 15 points after six rounds, and Norwegian former Volvo Ocean Race skipper Knut Frostad on Nokia Academy with 14 points. Finland’s Olympic champion, Thomas Johanson on TietoEnator Audi has 7 points.

In the last races of the Nokia Oops Cup before the summer break, the Eurocard Gotland Runt saw Frostad beat Klabbe Nylöf by just two minutes, after a close duel ten miles before the finish line. But the result was the opposite in the Stockholm City race.

"It was a pity to lose, but now we have made a lot of adjustment to the boat and can’t wait to challenge Knut again," HiQ’s Klabbe Nylöf says.

"It’s an open race and we have made several tweaks that will increase our upwind ability," Knut Frostad of team Nokia Academy says.

"It’s always very special to sail in the home waters, since the winds can be a bit tricky. We will do everything to challenge the others, especially with better starts," TietoEnator Audi’s skipper Thomas Johanson comments. The fact that last year’s Nokia Oops Cup winner, Swiss star sailor Steve Ravussin, will be on board is of course adding to his chances in the last rounds.

Standings in Nokia Oops Cup after 6 of 11 rounds:

1. HiQ Sailing Team, Klabbe Nylöf, Sweden, 15 p
2. Team Nokia Academy, Knut Frostad, Norway, 14 p
3. Team TietoEnator Audi, Thomas Johanson, Finland, 7 p

Nokia Oops Cup Race schedule August:

5-6 Helsinki City Race
6 Start Offshore Race Helsinki-Copenhagen
13 Malmö City race
15 Start Offshore Race Malmö-Kiel
19 Kiel City Race (Finish of Nokia Oops Cup)