Musto Performance Skiff Norway Eurocup at Kristiansand
by Erik Børresen 8 Sep 2015 20:02 BST
22-23 August 2015
Musto Skiff Norway Eurocup at Kristiansand © Kjell Anders Olsen
As a newcomer in the Musto Skiff class, I had the pleasure of participating in my first event here in Kristiansand on 23–24 August. Christianssands Sailing Club (CSF) arranged their Race Weekend. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny. The forecast for wind was good; Saturday about 12 knots and Sunday about 20 knots, both days easterly. In Kristiansand, this means variations in strength and direction – difficult conditions for a newbie like me.
Four local Skiffs participated in the event, and on both days we shared the track with Melges 24s and Sunday also with Optimists.
In good conditions on Saturday, all four Skiffs participated and Gunnar and Geir Odmar handled the conditions well. Gunnar took the lead, winning three out of four heats. I handled the first two heats reasonably well with only one capsize, but got in more trouble in the two last heats as I got tired.
In the evening, the local club arranged a seafood dinner at the harbour for Musto Skiff and Melges participants. We all had a good time with increasingly better stories towards midnight. We got to know each other better, with participants all the way from Australia (I believe).
The next day started off with blue skies, but a lot more wind with gusts towards 25 knots. This was quite challenging for all of us, and only two Skiffs got to the starting line. Geir Odmar handled the conditions well and won all four heats. I completed the first two heats with a lot of capsizes, but ripped the kite in the second heat. At the last mark the main Halyard also snapped and I was out of the race. Hopefully, Ovington boats can provide me with new equipment quite soon...
Overall, a well-organized arrangement in excellent conditions.