Spring Cup - Elite teams fight for a ticket to Stena Match Cup Sweden

by Fabian Bengtsson on 22 May 2013 The GKSS Spring Cup will be sailed this weekend in Gothenburg and serves as a qualifier for Stena Match Cup Sweden. Both the best international team and the best Swedish team will win an entry ticket to the World Tour event, and the line-up in the regatta features both top ranked skippers and young Swedish talents hoping to make it to the international stage.

Ten teams have been invited to the GKSS Spring Cup, four Swedish and six international. One of the top ranked skippers in the race is Reuben Corbett (NZL) who won the event last year, qualified for Stena Match Cup 2013 where his team made it to the quarterfinals.

'From my experience, having competed in the GKSS Spring Cup these past few years, this is the strongest line up ever. There are plenty of talented teams this year with proven track records let alone the younger teams who are well accustomed to the DS37s. It should be cracker', says Reuben Corbett who will once again be back to claim the ticket to compete at Marstrand.

'It would be absolutely fantastic if we could defend the GKSS Spring Cup and compete in Stena Match Cup Sweden two years running. With last years’ experience we would be better placed to go one better and make it to the semi-finals at least'.

One qualifying spot is reserved for the best Swedish team and the competition is going to be fierce between the four home teams. Viktor Ogeman and Jakob Klitte both skipper teams competing for the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club and they are going o be put against Niclas Düring and Charlie Ekberg of the Swedish Youth America’s Cup Team.

Viktor Ogeman’s and his Team Accure moved up from 40th to 28th spot on the latest ISAF ranking. In 2012 they received a wild card to Stena Match Cup Sweden where they managed to beat Ian Williams in the Round Robin and now they're hoping to get back to Marstrand in this year’s event through the Spring Cup.

'We have improved a lot as a team the last year and if we perform at our best I think we will be strong contenders in the regatta. It would be great to get back to Stena Match Cup and I think it would mean more for us now than it did last year because we are in a better position now, both to take in what we can learn at Marstrand and win more matches', says Viktor Ogeman.

GKSS Spring Cup is organized by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club takes place in Långedrag, Gothenburg on May 25-26. The event is sailed in DS37 race yachts and features a full round robin followed by semifinals and a final in best-of-five matches. The regatta is sailed from 9am - 6pm (ECT) on Saturday and from 9am - 5pm on Sunday with a prize giving ceremony planed at 5pm.

Line-up GKSS Spring Cup 2013

Reuben Corbett (NZL) - ISAF Rank 12
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) - ISAF Rank 14
Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) - ISAF Rank 17
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) - ISAF Rank 21
Viktor Ogeman (SWE) - ISAF Rank 28
Rasmus Viltoft (DEN) - ISAF Rank 29
Mark Lees (GBR) - ISAF Rank 35
Jakob Klitte (SWE) - ISAF Rank 69
Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE) - ISAF Rank 341
Charlie Ekberg/Niclas Düring (SWE) - Swedish Youth Team America’s Cup

Twelve teams will compete in the Open Class of Stena Match Cup Sweden and eight spots are reserved for the Tour Card Holders on the Tour. Two teams will qualify in the GKSS Spring Cup and two teams will receive wild cards to the event. One wild card has already gone to French skipper Mathieu Richard and the other wild card will be presented in the coming weeks. Stena Match Cup also features a Women’s Class and the competing teams will be revealed shortly.