Lars Hendriksen wins Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup

by Event Media on 14 Apr 2007
Danish competitor Lars Hendriksen, helmsman of boat Eva, is the winner of the 40th edition of the Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup, held in Real Club Náutico de Palma, after the Race Committee decided to cancel today’s race due to the absolute lack of wind.

Hendriksen, who celebrated his victory jumping into the outdoor swimming-pool of Náutico de Palma, had not foreseen his second Gold Cup –which he already won in 1999- and in accordance with his comments last Wednesday, the day he took the lead in the overall standings, he was happy to finish among the top ten.

Eva won with 46.7 points, in front of Sinewave, owned by German sailor Thomas Müller, who lost the lead after the fourth race, in which the course had to be shortened in two legs due to the wind drop in the racing area. From that moment, at 15:00 hours on 11 April, an unusual calm affected the Bay of Palma causing the cancellation of the last two races.

Third overall is German sailor Markus Wieser who was the helm of Ukrainian Dragon Bunker Queen, with 81 points and very far away from the winner and second classified.

The Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup has been marked by the bad weather conditions. The lack of sunshine cancelled any possibility of welcoming the thermal wind of the Bay of Palma and the main E wind that blew during the competition never got over 15 knots.

The competition started on Monday 9 April with shifty wind forcing the Race Committee to change the course in almost all mark roundings. Thomas Müller sailed very well and presented his candidature for the final victory.

The second competition day was on 10 April. It was nothing special, but still the best of all. After the first race, sailed in almost identical conditions to the previous day, the Race Committee decided to give a second start at 15:00 hours with a stable 70º wind that reached 15 knots. The fleet was tired but it was worth trying. And it was a good decision: the third race of the Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup was fast and exciting with the wind never under 10 knots and with hardly any wind shifts. But it was a mirage.

On the following day, Wednesday 11 April, the Bay rose again with overcast skies, with the same light, changing East breeze of the first day. This was the last and decisive race. Thomas Müller had a terrible setback and Lars Hendriksen sailed very well and benefited from the Race Committee’s decision to finish the race after the second beat to windward when Eva was in the lead.

The curious and negative note of the day was Lithuanian Merchant navy vessel Eurika that sailed outside the limits of the port of Palma channel and crossed the racing area without respecting the sailboats’ preference and forcing one of them to manoeuvre to avoid a collision.

No races could be held either on Thursday or Friday and Lars Hendriksen was the winner of the 40th edition of the Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup, a competition with its origins in 1937 and that was held in Spain for the first time in history.

The best Spanish classified was Porto Pi, from Germán Gil, president of the Dragon Class Association in Spain, finishing in 58th position.

Today at 19:00 hours the prize giving ceremony will be held at the Sala Magna of Real Club Náutico de Palma. The Nations Cup trophy, held during the 2007 Transbunker Dragon Gold Cup, will also be awarded during this ceremony, with the German team led by Thomas Müller, helmsman of Sinewave, as winner. The two victories obtained throughout the regatta by Thomas Müller were crucial to take Germany to the top of the podium.

Overall Leading Results (89 entries)

1 DEN138 EVA LARS HENDRIKSEN L.STENFELDT / P.SKAFTE-HOLM 46.7
2 GER996 SINEWAVE THOMAS MULLER V.HOESCH / M.SCHEHMAIS 50
3 UKR777 BUNKER QUEEN MARKUS WIESER T.ANRACHER / S.PUGATCHEV 81
4 GER1035 ROSI PHILIPP OCKER F.GROSSER / M.BRATHER 83.7
5 RUS99 MURKA 9 VALENTIN UVARKIN D.SAPRONOV / V.VARNACHKIN 84.7
6 GBR705 DANISH BLUE POUL RICHARD HOJ T.PALM / C.BRITTAIN 88.7
7 GBR700 PRINCESS JALINA DAVID PALMER K.HARSBERG / H.BAGNALL 92
8 GER1013 FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS PETER FROSCHL S.SMUDA-FROSCHL / C.RUSITSCHKA 93.7
9 RUS27 ANNAPURNA 2 VLADIMIR IKONNIKOU A.SHALAGIN / A.MIKHAYLIN 104
10 RUS2 ALISA ALEXANDER EZHKOV V.KAUTSKIH / A.GARGORIEW 104
11 RUS25 VERSIA 3 ALEXEY KRYLOV V.KARITONOV / A.KARACHINSKY 105.7
12 SWE315 MINC JACOB WALLENBERG S.BALTSCHEFFSTAY / S.HASKEL 106
13 DEN384 NOTORIUS SOREN PEHRSSON J.BONDE / B.JUNKER 115
14 NED309 FURIE GUUS DE GROOT H.WINTERS / R.VAN RIJ 115.7
15 GBR709 KULING MARK DICKER M.KENNEDY / J.HAMILTON 123.7
16 RUS44 RED OKTOBER ARTIOM KUZNETSOV V.SILKIN / G.SHAYDUKO 124
17 RUS77 DIAMOND MAXIM SMERKHALOV D.TERESKIN / M.NEULUTOV 128
18 FRA365 AR YOULEG 2 GOURLAOUENNE FREU CHAPALAIN UXXEN / SAULEAN VINANT 137
19 DEN266 MY WAY FRANK BERG S.KAESTEL / A.WESTER 137
20 SWE333 LEA P-O SODERBERG DAN WALKER D.WALKER / G.JOHANSON 139