Half Ton Classics Cup 2023 at Royal Norwegian Sailing Union and Hankø Yacht Club
by Bert Janssen 23 Aug 2023 11:09 BST
19 August 2023
The Evil (winners) - Half Ton Classics Cup 2023 in Norway © Trond Teigen / KNS
On Friday 19th August the Bagdad2 Friends-team led by Borre Hekk Paulsen took the highly coveted Half Ton Classics Cup with a nearly perfect sheet after 10 races. Sailing a 1985 Berret-Finot design, which went through a big refit by its previous owners, the team left only the long distance race and 1 windward-leeward race to her competitors. Two other Norwegian halftonners RAMPAGE and KING ONE completed the podium.
The Royal Norwegian Sailing Union (KNS) and the Hankø Yacht Club, in close cooperation with the Half Ton Class Norway, have organized a perfect event for a total of 33 teams, amongst which three teams from Belgium and one team from the UK. The Half Ton 'true spirit' reigned all along the race week.
This was emphasized at the final prize-giving, first by a heart-warming ode to and standing ovation for Martin Kamperhaug - the initiator of the halftonner revival in Norway - who received his weight (and more) in champagne, followed by the remittance of the Half Ton True Spirit Trophy. All the teams present almost unanimously choose to award this trophy to the father-mother-daughter-son team on board HUGIN.
Team CONCORDE won the Corinthian Trophy for being the best team without any professional on board and the women of MIDNIGHT X won the 'All Female Team' prize.
The atmosphere during the entire week was so good that plans are already being made to return to Hankø for a next edition, and why not to Marstrand or Sandhamn (SWE) in a few years time, when the Baltic halftonner fleet will be in full force again.
HALF TON CLASSICS CUP
In 2003 a group of Belgian halftonner owners decided to revive the Half Ton Class, with a first event in Nieuwpoort (BEL). The series are raced under the IRC rating rule, and all participating halftonners must present a valid endorsed IRC racing certificate.
The fleet typically consists of 'top notch' boats (who underwent quite substantial modifications - within the Class Rules), good amateur teams on slightly modified boats and pure amateur teams, often just sailing together for the occasion, mainly on vintage halftonners.
In 2024 the 14th Half Ton Classics Cup will take place in the same waters where it all started in 2003.
HALF TON CLASS EUROPE (HTCE)
The HTCE has been created in 2003 to accompany the renewed interest in the Half Ton class boats, a very popular racing class in the 70'ties and 80'ties.
The HTCE organizes the Half Ton Classics Cup since 2003. The event has been hosted in various European ports like Nieuwpoort (2003-2009-2015-2018), Dinard (2005), Dublin (2007), Cowes (2011-2022), Boulogne-sur-Mer (2013), St-Quay-Portrieux (2014), Falmouth (2016), Kinsale (2017) and recently Hankø (2023).
HTCE website: www.halftonclass.eu
Overall Results:
| Pos | Nat | Sail No | Design | Boat Name | Sailor | Club |
|---|
| 1 | NOR | 66666 | One‑off | The Evil / Bagdad2 friends | Borre Hekk PAULSEN | HVIT |
| 2 | NOR | 19187 | One‑off | Rampage | Thomas OKSMO | FRED |
| 3 | NOR | 18094 | One‑off | King One | Espen KAMPERHAUG | SARP |
| 4 | FRA | 9292 | One‑off | Concorde | Bror A BERGE | BERG |
| 5 | BEL | 7548 | One‑off | Général Tapioca/BWT | Philippe PILATE | BRYC |
| 6 | NOR | 9974 | One‑off | Cantippa | Magne TØNNESEN | FRED |
| 7 | NOR | 6263 | Nessy 94 | Late Bloomers | Martin KAMPERHAUG | SARP |
| 8 | NOR | 16094 | One‑off | Antheor | Lars INGEBERG | SARP |
| 9 | NOR | 4040 | One‑off | Fram VIII | Hans‑Petter JENSEN | ASKR |
| 10 | NOR | 5072 | Nessy 94 Cr | Bajazzo 5 | Rune WALLNER | NESO |
| 11 | SWE | 13 | X‑95 | Xanté | Morgan BROBERG | Stss |
| 12 | BEL | 1633 | One‑off | Farther Bruin | Jan‑Jakob MUYLS | VVW GA |
| 13 | NOR | 4315 | Nessy 94 | Odins Ravn | John HATCH | FRED |
| 14 | NOR | 2700 | One‑off | Norwegian Steam | Gunnar TØRNQVIST | FRED |
| 15 | NOR | 2595 | One‑off | Hero IN | Per OSEN | SARP |
| 16 | NOR | 4411 | Nessy 94
GP | Namu | Lars GADE‑SØRENSEN | SARP |
| 17 | BEL | 680 | Berret 1978 | Half Moon | Bert JANSSEN | KLYC |
| 18 | NOR | 6300 | Banner 1/2
Ton | Banner ´n | Stig FØRLAND | SARP |
| 19 | NOR | 4711 | One‑off | Junior | Sivert BACH GUDIM | SARP |
| 20 | SWE | 7888 | One‑off | Ödlegrinet | Jonas HYDMAN | SSB |
| 21 | NOR | 4155 | One‑off | SåVidt | Espen EGGEN | FRED |
| 22 | NOR | 4395 | Nessy 94 | Varg | Børre DAHL | SARP |
| 23 | NOR | 8856 | One‑off | Dubbel Duck | Team Dubbel DUCK | SARP |
| 24 | NOR | 3410 | 1/2 Ton First Evolution | KING for ONE day | Arnstein SANDNES | MOSS |
| 25 | NOR | 4525 | X‑95 | Midnight X | Alexandra WANG | SARP |
| 26 | NOR | 5674 | X‑95 | foXy | Ida JULSEN | FRED |
| 27 | NOR | 6871 | Nessy 94 | Crazy Horse Jr | Kai KRISTIANSEN | FRED |
| 28 | NOR | 5642 | Nessy 94 | Vector | Roy Werner RUSS | GJØV |
| 29 | NOR | 4174 | One‑off | Halling | Kjell STEINSTAD | LIHA |
| 30 | NOR | 4312 | Nessy 94 | Nessy 94 | Rosemary NUNN | |
| 31 | NOR | 4301 | First 30E | Hej Rune | Svein Arild NILSEN | FRED |
| 32 | NOR | 5810 | Nessy 94 | Hugin | Rolv KARLSEN | ASKR |
| 33 | NOR | 2146 | One‑off | Abelone | Birger BRÅLAND | |
| 34 | NOR | 4311 | One‑off | Tina | Tom Marius ELLINGSEN | KNS |
| 34 | NOR | 6274 | Nessy 94 | Comeback Kid | Espen BAKKERUD | LAKO |