Final day at X-Yachts Gold Cup

by Susanne Boidin Salminen on 17 Jul 2017 It could not have been a better finale day in Copenhagen for the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2017 participants - full sun, 20 degrees and 4-6 knots.

The last and determining races were held and the following prize giving ceremony party wrapped up some amazing days with competition, socializing and sharing the passion for the X-Yachts. 2019 will be the next Gold Cup for X-Yachts sailors.

The X-35 World Championships gold went to the Swedes
In the X-35 World Championships one team had sailed a sublime series and won the gold medal even before the last race. The winner team was Swedish Joanna with Jacob Jacobsen at the helm.

'We are so happy to have won this year! We became fourth at our last World Cup in 2015, so it's such a fantastic feeling that the training and consistency of the team has payed off, 'said Jacob Jacobsen. The silver went to the Danish Foxy Lady (Jette Dalegaard) and the bronze to Swedish Escape (Mats Rimmö).

The Family Class around Flakfortet
In the Gold Cup’s Family Class, the sailors were sent out on a race aroundFlakfortet, an island outside Copenhagen. The winner of Saturday’s race and overall winner of the Family Classbecame Danish XL with Birger Hansen as helm. The second place went to the Danish X-One (IbKunøe), where Niels Jeppsen, X-Yachts founder and CEO joined the team. On a third place came Danish Xtravaganza (Kai Hoffmann).

To the great amusement of all the participants at the Gold Cup's award ceremony, Niels admitted in his speech, with glint in his eyes, that it was a little hard to be beaten by Birger, his former partner – with only 18 seconds.

Nerve wrecking close in the Sports Classes
In Sports Class A and B, it was only a few points that decided who would win. In Sports Class A the winner was German Quattro (Klaus-Peter Boock), second place went to Danish Mille (Kim Rasmussen) and Swiss Morning Breeze (Bruno Frank) became third. Sports Class B was won by Danish Stony (Steen Toftebjerg), Danish X4Box (Henrik Jørgensen) became number two and Swedish Veronix (Stephan Bertntsson) became number three.

Revealed plans for X-Yachts Gold Cup 2019
“It really makes me proud to see all ‘my babies’ gathered in the harbour here in Skovshoved, having a great time together and I personally also enjoy meeting up with so many great friends,” said Niels Jeppsen, CEO of X-Yachts, who participated on the water on team X-One.

Niels Jeppsen, X-Yachts’CEO, promised at the prize giving ceremony that X-Yachts have great plans for the Gold Cup in 2019, where the yard will celebrate it’s 40th anniversary. Niels did not hide the fact that this year’s lower number of participants was worrying, but that he and the rest of the X-Yachts team would do everything in their power to offer the most attractive event in 2019.

Does the Royal Danish Yacht Club have a direct line to the weather god?
The big topic of the regatta has been the weather. The weather forecast did not look promising before the Gold Cup, but at the opening ceremony the commodore of the Royal Danish Yacht Club Lars Ive revealed, that he had a direct line to the weather gods and promised - a bit courageously -great weather for the following days.

It is the fourth time that the Royal Danish Yacht Club is hosting the X-Yachts Gold Cup in Copenhagen and all previous years there has been a sun and perfect wind for the sailors. The Royal Danish Yacht Club’s commodore must have the right connections, because the sailors were served with both wind and sun all the days of the Gold Cup.

'It has been a great pleasure to host the X-Yachts Gold Cup again this year and house so many X-Yachts owners, both from our own club and guests. There is an absolutely unique atmosphere both on water and land and it is wonderful to witness, 'says Lars Ive, commodore of the Royal Danish Yacht Club.

Lars Ive also promised in his speech at the prize giving ceremony that no matter how the plans turned out for the X-Yachts Gold Cup in 2019, The Royal Danish Yacht Club would manage the weather.