X-Yachts Gold Cup at Copenhagen, Denmark - Day 1
by Alexis Eyre 17 Jul 2015 12:36 BST
15-18 July 2015
X-Yachts Gold Cup at Copenhagen day 1 © per Heegaard
The 16th X-Yachts Gold Cup got off to an amazing start yesterday at the Royal Danish Yacht Club in Copenhagen with perfect conditions setting the scene for some epic sailing. The 60 X-boats from 12 different nations, including the brand new Xp55 St. Pavel from Russia, and the fifteen X-35s competing for the World Championship title, all enjoyed clear blue skies and a shifty westerly breeze.
It set the scene for some unpredictable racing across all classes from the X-35, sport- and family X-Yachts registered.
Sibling rivalry in the World Championship race
Even the professionals, racing to be crowned "the best in the World" struggled with yesterday's winds. "The conditions were very tricky today going from seven knots to 17, so the trimmers were on their feet. But we knew it would be like this in Copenhagen. It's also what makes it fun," said the skipper Teemu Kokkonen of the Finnish frontrunner of the X-35 fleet, AUDI e-tron. The crew, which includes the Danish match race legend, Steen Mohr as tactician, enjoyed three steady races with two firsts and a third place, followed closely by their sister boat, Audi Ultra.
The owner of Audi Ultra, Samuli Leisti, struggled with the tricky conditions ending the 6th race with a 7th place: "You understand why so many good sailors originate from these waters," the sailor from Helsinki noted, adding that they were still aiming for gold, setting the scene for some sibling rivalry on the waters today.
The wind is known to no man
A little further down the dock side, the Danish owner of the X-34 SatizfaXion, Ulrik Spork, who competes in the Sport Class A fleet with boats from 33 to 40 feet, admitted yesterday in a smiling manner that Danes had it no easier. "We are one Olympic sailor and one World Champion on board and have sailed in these westerly breezes all our lives – and we still have no local advantage. It's just that unpredictable." The Dane, who has sailed X-Yachts all his life, couldn't compete with his country man, Kim Rasmussen of the X-99, Mille, who leads the Sport Class A after three races.
In Sport Class B with boats from 38 to 46 feet, the Swedish IMX-40, Gertrud, got a head start with three dots. "The IMX is still highly compatible despite being build in 2001. It's good quality," said the helmsman Magnus Hansson from the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club. "But who knows what will happen tomorrow," he commented and looked up at the flags in the stern. "No one knows in these waters."
Light day ahead
Shifty breezes may be the least of the fleet's problems today, as the sun rises on the calm waters of Copenhagen for a day of light weather sailing. With southerly winds ranging from 1 to 3 m/s, the hope of the racing committee is for the sea breeze to kick in midday. Today's races are set to commence at 11am, EST.
For more details go to www.x-yachts.com/cups/goldcup/2015