5.5m IC 2013 Scandinavian Gold Cup at Curaçao, Caribbean
by Thierry S. Huguenin 31 Jan 2013 15:03 GMT
28 January - 1 February 2013
NOR 57 Artemis and crew, winner of the 5.5m IC 2013 Scandinavian Gold Cup © Cisca Rusch
Trophy goes to Norway
Deep blue sea, sun and beaches were the scenery for the 5.5m IC 2013 Scandinavian Gold Cup hosted last week in the Caribbean island of Curaçao.
Eight nations competed in this year edition of the Gold Cup with two new comers the 5.5m Class Association is happy to welcome; the host country, Curaçao and coming back to 5's racing, the U.S.A.
Weather and wind conditions were excellent with easterly winds averaging 16-18 knots. The biggest challenge for the competitors was to get used to and play with the strong current pushing the boats in direction to Santa Barbara beach.
At the end, mastering the conditions and the competitions, the Norwegian crew of Artemis (NOR 57) composed of Kristoffer Spone, Johan Barne and Christen Horn-Johannesen won the coveted trophy being the first boat winning three races.
The Classic and the Evolution Cups will take place later this year during the European Championship that will take place in Benodet (France) in September.
Updates and more information at www.5point5worlds.org
About the International 5.5 Metre Class Association
The International 5.5 Metre Class is a class of racing yachts initially designed under the rules of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) that is now known as the International Sailing federation or ISAF.
Yachts of the Class are not identical but have to be strictly built according to the Class Rating Rules. We estimate that approximately 800 boats have been built around the World. The Class is divided in three divisions: Modern, Evolution and Classic.
More about the Class at www.5.5class.org