Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap, Sweden
by Simon Osgood 15 Jul 16:47 BST
6-12 July 2024
Day one mark rounding during the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap © Daniel Stenholm
The 2024 Gold Cup, viewed as the 'unofficial world championship' for the Nordic Folkboat was hosted in the west coast venue of Halmstad, Sweden. Every year the event moves around the Nordic and surrounding region.
This year saw a 52 boat entry with entries from the Denmark, United Kingdom, Estonia, Germany, Finland and Sweden. The Nordic Folkboat entered its 82nd year since inception and there is no sign of the class diminishing, as this classic yacht still has great appeal.
The first day of the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup offered highly variable conditions, ranging from sunshine to rain, with winds between 3-6 m/s.
Leading after Monday's two races is Simon Osgood (GBR 777) from the Royal Thames Yacht Club in the UK, with placements of 3 and 1. "A tough first day with interesting currents and waves out there. We enjoyed ourselves and had a good day on the water it's nice to be able to share these moments with my 11 year old son Oliver onboard," commented Simon Osgood, helmsman onboard.
In second place is John Wulff, also from the UK (GBR 808), with placements of 4 and 2, and in third place is Andres Sunke (DEN 745) from Denmark with placements of 5 and 5.
Following Monday's sailing in highly variable weather, Tuesday offered calm seas and sunshine. Unfortunately, the wind was completely absent, resulting in the postponement of the races.
The forecast for Wednesday predicts initially easterly winds shifting to westerly, with accompanying lulls around lunchtime.
After Tuesday's cancelled races due to a lack of wind, the forecast for Wednesday looked significantly better. The day's first race started on time with an orderly start by all sailors. The wind fluctuated between 9 m/s at the start and around 4 m/s at the finish.
Overall leader GBR 777 with Simon Osgood had a good start near the starting vessel and headed out to sea. At the first mark, DEN 873 with Søren Kæstel was in the lead, closely followed by GBR 777 in second place. At the subsequent downwind mark, both boats rounded almost simultaneously, but on the second upwind leg, the Danes sailed away and took a comfortable lead. The British fell behind on the upwind leg, and at the finish, it was the Danes on DEN 873 who were first across the finish line. Following them were two more Danes, DEN 1152 Morten Henriksen and DEN 633 Michael Guldmann, completing the Danish triple.
GBR 777 finished as the ninth boat and dropped to second place overall. Another Brit, GBR 808 with John Wulff, who finished sixth in the race, took the lead.
Just as the last boat finished, the promised front with rain and thunder arrived. Race director Robert Ohlson decided that all boats should head into the harbour and await further decisions.
When the front had passed, the wind unfortunately died. A valiant attempt was made to start a new race, but when the boats couldn't even get out of the harbour due to the lack of wind and current, the day's races were cancelled.
Heading into Thursday's races, only three races had been completed in the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup in Halmstad. On Tuesday, the wind was entirely absent, and on Wednesday, only one race was completed before a thunderstorm rolled over the competition area, leaving a calm in its wake. The forecast for Thursday looked relatively good with light winds.
The first race of the day started as planned with initial winds of 4-5 m/s from the southwest. As the race progressed, the wind decreased, prompting the race committee to shorten the race to ensure the boats could finish. The race was won by GER 564 with Sönke Durst at the helm, followed by another German boat, GER 739 helmed by Ulf Kipcke. In third place was DEN 633 with Michael Guldmann. The overall leader, GBR 808 with John Wulff, secured a solid 5th place.
By the time the second race of the day began, the wind had increased to 3-4 m/s, allowing the race to be sailed at full length. The race was won by SWE 1255 with Anders Cederblad at the helm, marking the Swedes' second victory as they had also won the first race of the Gold Cup. The Danish boats DEN 745 with Anders Sunke and DEN 873 with Søren Kæstel finished second and third, respectively. With this being the fifth race, sailors could discard their worst race, which many welcomed.
In the overall standings, with one race discarded, the competition remains very close. The British team, GBR 808 with John Wulff, leads with 17 points, just one point ahead of DEN 873 with Søren Kæstel, and two points ahead of DEN 745 with Anders Sunke. DEN 1152 with Morten Henriksen follows, one point further behind. Only nine points separate the top eight boats.
Throughout the week in Halmstad, the weather conditions were tricky, and leading up to Friday's final races, five races had been completed. However, Friday offered excellent conditions with winds around 4-5 m/s. The competition was tight at the top, with only nine points separating first and eighth place. Leading into the final day was John Wulff from the UK, just one point ahead of the second-place contender.
When it mattered most, GBR 808 with John Wulff, Cameroon Tweedle and Edward Donald demonstrated they were worthy winners of the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup by winning the series' final race. The Swedish team in SWE 1255, helmed by Anders Cederblad, finished second in the race, securing third place overall. Danish sailor Anders Sunke on DEN 745 came third in the race, earning him a second place overall.
After five days of racing, the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup concluded, with Friday evening ending in a delightful regatta dinner at the Halmstad Yacht Club's boat house. A big thank you to all the sailors, officials, sponsors, and everyone involved who made the event a success.
Save the date for the 2025 Gold Cup, Hellerup Sejlklub in Copenhagen 2-6 July.
Overall Results:
Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew 1 | Crew 2 | Boat Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
1st | GBR808 | John Wulff | Cameron Tweedle | Edward Donald | Isobella | Royal Solent Yacht Club | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ‑23 | 1 | 18 |
2nd | DEN745 | Anders Sunke | Claus Lund | Niels Sunke | RIO | Kerteminde Sejlklub | 5 | 5 | 8 | ‑33 | 2 | 3 | 23 |
3rd | SWE1255 | Anders Cederblad | Anders Jalmander | Ola Schwarz | Selma | Segelsällskapet Vikingarna | 1 | 12 | 10 | ‑23 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
4th | DEN1152 | Morten Henriksen | Asger Rabølle | Jakob Kihl | Nefertiti | Kerteminde Sejlklub | 8 | 4 | 2 | 7 | ‑9 | 5 | 26 |
5th | DEN873 | Søren Kæstel | Erik Andersen | Alex Lindegaard | Cirkeline | Hellerum Sejlklub | 11 | 3 | 1 | ‑24 | 3 | 14 | 32 |
6th | DEN633 | Michael Guldmann | Henrik Werth | Cecilia Hansen | Swallow | Thurø Sejlklub | ‑26 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 32 |
7th | GBR777 | Simon Osgood | Jamie Lea | Gemma Osgood | Double 'O' 777 | Royal Thames Yacht Club | 3 | 1 | 9 | ‑45 | 11 | 9 | 33 |
8th | GER739 | Ulf Kipcke | Gero Martens | Kathrin Martens | Ylva | Kieler Yacht Club | 25 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ‑32 | 48 |
9th | GER466 | Walther Furthmann | Hans Christian Mrowka | Wolfgang Heck | Paula i | YCS Strande | ‑31 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 51 |
10th | DEN926 | Per Buch | Hans Schultz | Per Puck | Geppeline | Kerteminde Sejlklub | 2 | 11 | 15 | ‑28 | 19 | 13 | 60 |
11th | GBR669 | Cy Grisley | Simon Evans | Richard Clarke | Gybe n' | Lymington Town Sailing Club / Keyhaven Y | 7 | 8 | 11 | ‑32 | 18 | 17 | 61 |
12th | GER564 | Sönke Durst | Karsten Butze Bredt | Marc Rokicki | Hasta la vista | Laboer Regatta Verein | 16 | 6 | 23 | 1 | ‑26 | 18 | 64 |
13th | SWE1390 | Lennart Magnusson | Mats Brodefors | Kjell Vågfelt | Emilie | Långedrags Segelsällskap | 6 | 16 | 16 | 19 | ‑21 | 11 | 68 |
14th | DEN634 | Jens Thuroe | Victor Thurøe | Knut Peder Andersen | Emma | Kerteminde Sejlklub | 14 | 14 | 7 | ‑36 | 17 | 16 | 68 |
15th | DEN947 | Jesper Strandberg | Thomas Christensen | John Skjoldby Peters | Midde | Orø Sejlklub | ‑34 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 70 |
16th | DEN768 | Kim Kristensen | Johannes Olsen | Michael Møller | Nadia | Jægerspris Sejlklub | 13 | 23 | ‑25 | 25 | 5 | 10 | 76 |
17th | SWE1386 | Bo Staffan Andersson | Piero Bandini | Lars Persson | | Ronneby Segelsällskap | 18 | 18 | 22 | ‑27 | 14 | 8 | 80 |
18th | GER417 | Jürgen Breitenbach | Horst Dittrich | Hans‑Joachim Meyer | Till | Segel‑Verein Schwentinemünde SVS | 10 | 13 | ‑21 | 20 | 16 | 21 | 80 |
19th | DEN645 | Gustav Nielsen | Martin Nielsen | Patrick Nielsen | Gollum | Jægerspris Sejlklub | 15 | 21 | ‑26 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 86 |
20th | DEN650 | Søren Poulsen | Morten Norderud‑Poulsen | Henrik Marloth | De Grå | Skive Sejlklub | 9 | 26 | 19 | ‑44 | 8 | 28 | 90 |
21st | DEN1130 | Ditte Andreasen | Sören Andersen | Lena Andersen | Gisti | Sundby Sejlforening | 24 | 20 | 24 | 11 | 15 | ‑33 | 94 |
22nd | SWE1289 | Anders Olsen | Pär Johansson | Per Hörberg | Mathilda III | Vikingarnas Segelsällskap VSS | 27 | 41 | (DNS) | 16 | 4 | 7 | 95 |
23rd | GER955 | Lars Kiewning | Stephan Goebel | Frank Barownick | Salto di Vento | Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee | ‑28 | 28 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 27 | 99 |
24th | DEN666 | Andreas Granlund | Benny Christensen | Stefan Westerlund | Pas‑Sais | Handerslev Sejl Club | 21 | 33 | 12 | ‑42 | 10 | 25 | 101 |
25th | GER730 | Stefan Klabunde | Martin Zenker | Martin Pichura | Comeback | S.C. Gothia Berlin | 12 | 27 | 28 | 10 | 34 | ‑35 | 111 |
26th | GER631 | Alexander Denn | Elly Kaspar | Klaus Blenckner | Freja | Kressbronner Segler | 20 | 25 | 27 | 13 | 28 | ‑31 | 113 |
27th | SWE1254 | Ulf Bengtsson | Mats Larsson | Marcus Larsson | Nyfiken Gul | Halmstad Segelsällskap | ‑39 | 22 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 4 | 116 |
28th | GER1001 | Rainer Hasselmann | Jochen Bobbert | Stephan Dunker | Teufelauch | Yachtclub Ruhrlan Essen e.v. | 19 | 17 | 33 | ‑40 | 24 | 24 | 117 |
29th | GER1170 | Andreas Haubold | Martina Klemmt | Jonathan Larsen | "MADE IN GERMANY" | Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee | ‑41 | 24 | 29 | 14 | 31 | 20 | 118 |
30th | FIN348 | Waltteri Moisio | Jukka Ahokas | Pauli Poutanen | Skydda | Naantalin Purjehdusseura NPS | 32 | 10 | 18 | 37 | ‑42 | 34 | 131 |
31st | SWE1322 | Hobbe Wärnegård | Per Wärnegård | Konrad Kyander | Django | Runmarö Yacht Club | 37 | ‑40 | 17 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 133 |
32nd | GER774 | Peter Hosie | Carsten Reuter | Marc Adelt | Daphne | Jacht‑Klub Nordwest e.V. / JKN | 17 | 30 | ‑36 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 136 |
33rd | EST50 | Mikk Köösel | Mari‑Liis Lind | Annika Tallinn | Jonna | Kalevi Jahtklubi | 23 | ‑38 | 34 | 34 | 25 | 23 | 139 |
34th | SWE1303 | Lennart Röök | Kent Andersson | | Amanda | Steningsunds Segelsällskap | 29 | ‑47 | 41 | 12 | 39 | 19 | 140 |
35th | GER1123 | Hans‑Herman Rüggeseik | Jörgen Preuss | Christian Backhausen | Rasmine | Berlin Yard‑Club | 35 | ‑37 | 30 | 17 | 33 | 29 | 144 |
36th | SWE1358 | Donald Bratt | Martin Bratt | Torben Cederberg | Sjöjungfrun | Vikingarnas Segelsällskap VSS | 22 | 32 | 32 | 21 | 38 | ‑44 | 145 |
37th | SWE1311 | Johan Rasin | Erik Holmer | Åke Winbladh | Tummelisa | Vikingarnas Segelsällskap VSS | 42 | 34 | 35 | 9 | 36 | ‑46 | 156 |
38th | SWE1339 | Klas Andersson | Claes Hoglert | Mats Komstedt | Blåtira | SS Vättern | 38 | 29 | (DNS) | 26 | 37 | 39 | 169 |
39th | SWE1354 | Gunnar Bonthelius | Gunnar Almgren | Claes Lagerberg | Stradivarius | Vikingarnas Segelsällskap VSS | ‑45 | 31 | 20 | 41 | 41 | 38 | 171 |
40th | GER495 | Matthias Beck | Jonas Müller | Konstantin Müller | Palmstroem | Yacht Club Stockach | 30 | ‑48 | 42 | 22 | 43 | 43 | 180 |
41st | EST51 | Andres Kõnd | Toivo Loide | Tanel Loide | TEELE | Kalevi Jahtklubi | 33 | 43 | 40 | ‑49 | 29 | 42 | 187 |
42nd | GBR754 | Alasdair Maclean | Peter Spink | Phil Dunn | Eala Bheag | Royal Solent Yacht Club | ‑44 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 35 | 40 | 187 |
43rd | GBR624 | Kim Morley | Mark Diffey | Andrew Crabtree | Valhalla | Royal Air Force Yacht Club | 43 | 35 | 37 | ‑47 | 44 | 36 | 195 |
44th | SWE1282 | Lars Evaldsson | Sven Mårdh | Tore Evaldsson | ChaBang | Lerbergets Segelsällskap
LeSS | (DNF) | 44 | 43 | 18 | 47 | 47 | 199 |
45th | SWE1399 | Anders Carlzon | Joen Carlzon | Martin Johansson | ANNA | Malmö Segel Sällskap | 40 | (DNS) | DNS | 39 | 40 | 41 | 212 |
46th | SWE1251 | Karl‑Johan Ericsson | Ulf Ericsson | Marie Strandby | Minodin | Carlsborgs Segelsällskap | ‑48 | 45 | 39 | 48 | 46 | 37 | 215 |
47th | SWE1394 | Rolf Uppström | Jan Aronsson | Peter Schakonat | Gollo | Ljungskile SS | 36 | 46 | (DNS) | 35 | DNF | DNS | 221 |
48th | GER936 | Bastian Mayr | Lutz Ewert | Mario Malchin | Lotta | Warener Seglerverein Müritz | 47 | 39 | (DNS) | 46 | 45 | 45 | 222 |
49th | SWE1290 | Hans Torlén | Kjell Torlén | Leif Andersson | Marelin | Vikingarnas Segelsällskap VSS | 46 | 42 | (DNF) | DNS | DNS | DNS | 244 |
50th | SWE676 | Eva Uppström | My Smit Mattsson | Louise Ingman | Lovisa | Halmstad Segelsällskap | (DNS) | DNS | DNS | 43 | DNF | DNS | 251 |
51st | SWE1378 | Mikael Aggebrandt | Peter Suhr | | Clementine | Karlshamn SS | (DNF) | 49 | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | 257 |