Norwegian Steam smokes Norwegian J/70 Nationals
by J/Boats 14 Jul 2018 05:14 BST
J/70 fleet in action - J/70 Nationals 2018 © J-boats
Grundig Hankø Race Week is one of Norway's most famous annual regattas, and one of the summer's absolute highlights for sailing in Eastern Norway. Hankø is renowned for its good sailing conditions and location, and has been a focal point for sailors from home and abroad for more than a hundred years. The Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (KNS) collaborates with Hankø Yacht Club, founded by a bunch of adult sailors from KNS in 1954. Idyllic Hankø Yacht Club (HYC) is well protected from wind and on the other side of the bay lays the guest harbor and the royal Norwegian family cottage - "Bloksberg".
Perhaps more importantly, Hankø's climate made the island attractive for summer holidays in the 20th century, and laid the foundation for what is today the Hankø spa hotel. The venue is famous in Scandinavia for hosting numerous World Cup, Nordic Championship and National Norwegian Championships.
For 2018, the KNS hosted the J/70 Norwegian Championship, the world's fastest growing, and leading sportsboat class. For the first Norwegian Nationals, a baker's dozen boats participated to compete for the nation's bragging rights as top team.
In the end, it was the most experienced J/70 team in Norway, Eivind Astrup's Norwegian Steam, that was crowned Norwegian J/70 Champion after posting a very consistent scoreline of 2-4-1-2-2-2-1-3-1 for 14 pts net. Giving them a run-for-the-money with near identical scores was Jorn-Erik Ruud's NOR 1242 from Moss Seilforening Club with a tally of 3-1-3-1-1-3-4-2-2 for 16 pts net. Rounding out the podium was Magne Klann's View Software from Soon Seilforening with a record of 1-3-2-3-5-4-8-4-3 for 25 pts net.
More Norwegian J/70 Nationals sailing information can be found here.