Preview Horten-Göteborg Race, Nokia Oops Cup
by Event Media on 12 Jun 2006
HiQ Hans Berggren
Norway and Sweden are sharing the lead ahead of Finland, as the third race in Nokia Oops Cup is due to start, the offshore race between Horten and Gothenburg for the extreme 60 feet trimarans.
The start will be at 19.00 Sunday night and the boats are estimated to finish in Gothenburg Monday morning.
'To take the lead in the start will be very important,' says Klas Nylöf skipper onboard Swedish HiQ.
'It’s going to be very tight, and the boats are so equal that it’s hard to pass the others just by being faster. We have two options, to take the lead already in the start and then try to sail our own route, or to use tactical moves and the others mistakes,' says Klabbe Nylöf, who succeeded with that option in the second race.
'It will be beat sailing and good winds, so we’ll just have to try being in front of the others all the way,' says Klabbe.
Yesterday he won the Faerder Race, through a tactical move in the fog, which tricked the Norwegian Knut Frostad. Klabbe will now be meeting two skippers, who are really eager for revenge; Knut Frostad onboard Nokia Academy and Thomas Johanson, onboard TietoEnator Audi.
'I’m ready for revenge. Today we are mounting the radar and we will bring more clothes, since it was pretty cold yesterday,' says Knut, who is charging for victory.
Assisting the skipper Thomas Johanson, Olympic Champion in 49er, on the Finish boat TietoEnator Audi is last year’s winner of Nokia Oops Cup; Stève Ravussin, and Co-skipper Kenneth Thelen.
'We have a really good crew and a fast boat when the winds are hard, so now we are going to chase the hardest wind, that’s what we like. We are now looking forward and forgetting yesterday’s race,' says Thomas Johanson, who lagged behind already in the start because of the light winds.
In the international match between Sweden, Norway and Finland, the scores are right now; 5, 5, 2. But the sail race Nokia Oops Cup is composed by 11 competitions and the equal match is not settled until the finish in Kiel August 19.
On Tuesday it’s time for the spectacular spectator competitions in Gothenburg Harbour, a Fleet Race – which is a course race - and a Speed Duel - an intensive duel on a short course between two boats at a time.
Scoring in Nokia Oops Cup, after two competitions
1. HiQ, 5 points
2. Nokia Academy, 5 points
3. TietoEnator Audi, 2 points
Follow the toughest regatta of the year on www.nokiaoopscup.com.
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