Comeback for Magnus Holmberg at Stena Match Cup Sweden

by Fabian Bengtsson on 16 Jun 2014 Stena Match Cup Sweden 2014 - Magnus Holmberg has been given a wildcard invitation to compete in Stena Match Cup Sweden, the second stage of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour 2014. He is one of Sweden’s most prominent sailors and was one of the founders of the event at Marstrand – now he is back with a gold winning team to celebrate the big 20th anniversary of Sweden’s biggest annual sailing event.

Magnus Holmberg, 52, last competed in Stena Match Cup Sweden in 2010 and said farewell to a very successful sailing career the same year. The last four years, there has hardly been any sailing at all for Holmberg, besides a few coaching commitments, but earlier this spring he was asked to consider racing in the 20th anniversary of Stena Match Cup Sweden.

'I was far from certain at first but the key for me was to decide on a team to race with. I wanted to find a team that was good and that would be fun to sail with', says Holmberg who has since gathered all but one of the sailors in the team he won the World Match Racing Tour with in 2001.

The last couple of months, the team has been training in Gothenburg and competed in the Ice Breaker Cup and the Volvo Spring Cup, putting up a good performance and beating some of the top ranked teams in the world.

'When I stepped onboard the first time I wasn’t sure how things would go or if we would be competitive at all. But we seem to be doing all right so far in lighter conditions and it feels like we still have a lot to give'.

Magnus Holmberg is a three-time Olympic sailor and one of the most recognized and celebrated Swedish sailors of all time. After several years on the international match racing circuit, he claimed the Match Racing World Championship Title in 2001. A feat no Swedish skipper had done before or managed to repeat, and one that earned him the job as skipper of the Swedish team Victory’s Challenge in two editions of the America’s Cup.

Magnus was also one of the founders of the match racing event at Marstrand in 1994. For several years he combined the role as a key organizer of the event with competing in the regatta. Through the years he has reached the semis ten times and sailed two finals of Stena Match Cup Sweden. But, he has never won the big trophy, losing to Peter Gilmour in 2005 and to Björn Hansen in 2007.

'Sure, it stings a bit but I have a lot of other accomplishments to be happy about. I have been disappointed quite a few times at Marstrand but that’s the nature of match racing; if you don’t win the event – the last thing you do is lose'.

For Team Magnus Holmberg and his team, the following two weeks will be all about fine-tuning boat handling and working on getting maximum boat speed. The first race of Stena Match Cup Sweden starts on June 30th and there is a lot to race for. A legend will make his comeback on Marstrand’s spectacular race arena but it’s not just about showing up and waving to the spectators.

'It’s very hard to predict what will happen but it will be really exciting to enter the event and I’m very happy to be back', says Magnus Holmberg.

Team Magnus Holmberg:
Magnus Holmberg -Skipper
Stefan Rahm - Tactician
Mikael Björndal - Pitman
Daniel Björndal - Bowman
Oskar Ljung - Trimmer

14 teams will enter Stena Match Cup Sweden 2014. Besides the eight Tour Card Holders of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, two teams have qualified to the event through the Volvo Spring Cup and four teams will get wildcard invitations to Marstrand. The first wildcard was given to Johnie Berntsson’s Stena Sailing Team and the second to Team Magnus Holmberg. The remaining two wildcard teams will be presented the coming days.

Line-up Stena Match Cup Sweden 2014
1. Ian Williams (GBR)
2. Björn Hansen (SWE)
3. Phil Robertson (NZL)
4. Keith Swinton (AUS)
5. Taylor Canfield (USA)
6. Francesco Bruni (ITA)
7. David Gilmour (AUS)
8. Mathieu Richard (FRA)
9. Wildcard 1 - Johnie Berntsson (SWE)
10. Wildcard 2 - Magnus Holmberg (SWE)
11. Wildcard 3
12. Wildcard 4
13. Qualifier VOLVO Spring Cup - Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN)
14. Qualifier VOLVO Spring Cup - Ogeman (SWE)

Stena Match Cup Sweden 2013 attracted 118 000 visitors to Marstrand and the crowds followed the Swedish team behind Björn Hansen on their way to defend their title in the regatta. The event is oraganized by Brandspot together with the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club and this year's edition will take place June 30th – July 5th.

Sailing Sweden, official blogg of Stena Match Cup Sweden