RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup - Denmark’s Christian Spodsberg wins

RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup 2014. RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup

Two champions: Denmark’s Christian Spodsberg won the Renaissance Re Junior Gold Cup and Sweden's Johnie Berntsson won the 2014 Argo Group Gold Cup. © Talbot Wilson

'The harbour was much more shifty and difficult than I expected and I had to fight my way up to the top mark where I was in fourth' Spodsberg said who won the regatta. 'On the next rounding, through the gate, I was in first so that was very good. It was a great time here overall.'

Bermudians placed well in the overall regatta with Adam Larson, 13, holding on to his second place with 53 points. Larson sailed very well this week and also earned the award for top Bermudian sailor.

'Going into this regatta, my goal was to be top Bermudian sailor,' Larson said. 'In the past, the top Bermudian was not in the top three. To finish in second place in Bermuda is a really, really big thing for me. I feel really good about how I sailed this week.'

Third place went to Brazil's Joao Emilio Vasconcello with 54 points. He is a tall boy who sailed well in both heavy breeze and super light conditions. 'I appreciate the opportunity I had to sail in this regatta,' Vasconcellos said. 'This island is beautiful. I particularly want to say a special thank you to Dede Cooper and Susan Smith.'

The top female finisher award went to Julia Szmit of Poland, who finished in ninth place overall. 'On the last race I had a bad start but as it was lighter breezes and I am from the lakes it started to feel very familiar to me. I think sailing here on the harbour is a bit more like the lakes I sail in Poland.'

One of the key factors of this regatta is that although the competitors may arrive as shy young teenagers, they quickly form friendships that endure and grow. In the case of this year’s international and Bermudian group, the Optimist worlds were ongoing in Argentina during this event. Although these competitors narrowly missed a shot at the worlds by a point or two, Bermuda was a fantastic alternative and experience no young sailor would ever forget.

For principal race officer Charles Tatem that is part of the importance of the event. It is also great, according to Tatem, that the sailors here get this kind of exposure.

'Because the kids are getting much more international exposure, it really gives them something to aim for. The top sailors coming here really raise the bar, and the Bermuda sailors also raise the bar for each other.'

Regatta Chairman Somers Cooper reiterated that, 'none of this would be possible without the support of RenaissanceRe who have made this experience a reality for 12 years running. They have allowed us to bring a generation of world-class sailors from around the world to our shores to show our local kids where the bar lies .'

2014 Junior Gold Cup - Final Day Results

Sailed: 10, Discards: 1, To count: 9, Entries: 40, Scoring system: Appendix A

Related Articles

Cup Spy Apr 25-26: Three Sailings and a Reveal
Kiwis and Italians while American Magic popped out of the shed for a mast fitting Two teams sailed today - one in Auckland and the other in Cagliari. American Magic gave an unexpected reveal today, when the US Challenger opened the shed door and saw daylight for the first time.
Posted today at 10:16 am 59th Congressional Cup at Long Beach Day 2
First four advance to quarter-finals Closing out the opening round-robin stage of the 59th Congressional Cup today in Long Beach, the top four teams - Ian Williams/ GBR, Jeppe Borch/ DEN, Dave Hood/ USA and Gavin Brady/ USA, each advance to the Quarter-final stage of the event.
Posted today at 3:40 am Finns and French finish Ocean Globe Race
Galiana WithSecure and Evrika excape the windhole 40nm from the finish line It was a long, painfully slow final two days to complete their circumnavigation. But, finally, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) and Evrika FR (07) crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in a moody windless, moonlight Cowes arrival.
Posted on 25 Apr No major fears for Sunday's Transat CIC start
There will be no initial gales to contend with, rather a relatively light winds start As all of the Transat CIC skippers convened this morning at Lorient's La Base for the main briefing before Sunday's start of the 3,500 miles solo race across the North Atlantic to New York, ideas about the weather are the main topic of discussion.
Posted on 25 Apr Last Chance Regatta at Hyères, France Day 5
Sister act seals Olympic spot in windsurfing Czech sisters Katerina and Barbora Svikova took gold and silver in the three-rider final of the women's windsurfing competition on day five of the Last Chance Regatta in the south of France.
Posted on 25 Apr Edgartown Race Weekend attracting a good mix
A strong return of past participants and an energetic influx of new teams A strong return of past participants and an energetic influx of new teams (30% as of press time) says a lot about Edgartown Race Weekend on Martha's Vineyard, coming up June 20-22.
Posted on 25 Apr The must-do Rolex Middle Sea Race
The start of 45th edition is six months away Starting from Grand Harbour, Valletta, the Mediterranean's premier 600-mile classic promises much and always over delivers for participants and spectators alike.
Posted on 25 Apr American Magic's AC75 Race Boat Uncloaked
Commissioning of B3 continues in Barcelona New York Yacht Club American Magic, Challenger for the 37th America's Cup, uncloaked its AC75 race boat, "B3," as commissioning continues in Barcelona.
Posted on 25 Apr RS Tera Worlds 2024 already breaking records
Selling out more than 3 months in advance of the event In a record-breaking first for the International RS Tera Class, the RS Tera World Championship 2024 registration has reached maximum capacity - selling out more than 3 months in advance of the event.
Posted on 25 Apr Lunven and Soudée on the dockside in Lorient
Preparing for a classic north Atlantic passage in the Transat CIC Once again La Base marina in Lorient, Brittany – the main home of the IMOCA fleet – is a hive of activity as 33 boats and their skippers prepare for the daunting challenge of the North Atlantic alone.
Posted on 25 Apr