| Sweden. Close fight in Nokia Oops Cup; Speed Duel in Stockholm centre to come |
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| Wednesday, 21 June 2006 | |
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Lars-Ola Nordqvist & Helena Nilsson: After four competitions in the international match Nokia Oops Cup, HiQ with the Swedish skipper Klas Nylöf is now in the lead, with ten points. But it’s immensely tight to the Norwegian Knut Frostad onboard Nokia Academy, who is in second place with nine points. In third place with five points is Thomas Johanson, Team TietoEnator Audi from Finland. HiQ has proved to be very fast in the starts and won two victories in the offshore races and one of the sailings in the City Race, the Speed Duel in Oslo. Frostad took care of the City Race victories in both Oslo and Gothenburg. The three 60 feet trimarans, HiQ, TietoEnator Audi and Nokia Academy, are now going to sail a tough Speed Duel in Stockholm City Race on June 27. It will be the fifth round in Nokia Oops Cup and it also includes a Fleet Race in Sandhamn June 28 and is followed by the sixth round, Eurocard Gotland Runt on July 2. Since the earlier competitions in Oslo City Race, Faerder Race and Offshore Race between Horten and Gothenburg, the scores between the boats are very equal. Norwegian Team Nokia Academy began Nokia Oops Cup with a convincing victory in Oslo City Race, after three victories and a second place in the Course Race. The Speed Duel was pulled off by the Swede Klabbe Nylöf and HiQ Sailing Team, but it couldn’t stop Nokia Academy’s total victory. Knut Frostad, skipper onboard Nokia Academy praised his team very quickly: - We had a very good trim in the manoeuvres and we didn’t make one single mistake. It’s a very good crew. A tactical move by HiQ in the fog During Faerder Race June 9, the fight was tough between HiQ and Nokia Academy. HiQ took the lead in the start, but light winds made it fitful to defend it. But barely twenty-four hours later, Klabbe and HiQ were two nautical miles ahead of Nokia Academy again, after a smart tactical move during the night. When the fog swept in, HiQ made a gybe away from Nokia Academy, and when they were out of sight of the Norwegians, they succeeded in taking the lead again, whereupon they crossed the finish line after 210 nautical miles, just two minutes before Nokia Academy. - We grabbed that little chance there was to sail for victory, and I am very happy to beat Knut in his home waters, Klabbe said afterwards. Finnish Thomas Johanson, skipper onboard TietoEnator Audi, chose another way along the Norwegian coast, but didn’t find the wind he had hoped for. Therefore Team TietoEnator Audi finished in third place. Nokia Academy breaks the dagger board After one whole week with light winds and partly dead calm, the teams got the feel of wind speeds up to 20-22 knots, during the Offshore Race between Horten and Gothenburg. HiQ made a terrific start, as usual, sailed very well and kept the lead all the way to the finish line in Gothenburg. Just an hour after the start, Nokia Academy ran into problems, as their daggerboard suddenly broke. They then decided to continue the sailing without the daggerboard. Five hours behind HiQ and four behind TietoEnator Audi, they reached the finish line in Gothenburg. TietoEnator Audi falls behind In Gothenburg City Race 13 June, it was extremely exciting. HiQ was the fastest boat off the starting line in the first heat and kept that lead all the way to victory, two boat lengths ahead of Nokia Academy. In the next two heats, Nokia Academy crossed the line first, but in hard fight to the last gybe with TietoEnator Audi in the third round. In the fourth Course Race sailing of the day, the boats were sailing very closely together around the buoys. Suddenly a battcar that is attaching the sail to the mast, broke onboard TietoEnator Audi, and they fell behind. HiQ held on to the lead throughout the race but with a nice last gybe, Nokia Academy broke the finish line just one metre in ahead of HiQ. In total Nokia Academy won three out of four sailings. One week before the competitions in Stockholm City Race, Klabbe is thrilled: We have a strong, young team and we know the boat well. Now we also have done what had to be done on the boat, and can stay focused on the sailing, says Klabbe. He’s looking forward to compete in his home city and holds on to the strategy from earlier races; to be the first one over the starting line and to sail the boat without making any mistakes. Taking the lead at once is very important, since it’s always harder to catch up when you come from behind. The one who is in the lead can more easily control the situation, Klabbe comments. On Tuesday 27/6 at 17.00, the fifth competition in Nokia Oops Cup will begin, outside Skeppsbron, in the centre of Stockholm. The next day it continues with Course Races followed by the sixth round, Eurocard Gotland Runt, in Sandhamn July 2. Standings in Nokia Oops Cup after four out of eleven competitions: 1) HiQ Sailing Team, Klas Nylöf, Sweden, 10 p 2) Team Nokia Academy, Knut Frostad, Norway, 9 p 3) Team TietoEnator Audi, Thomas Johansson, Finland, 5 p Schedule Nokia Oops Cup, Stockholm: June 26, ProAm races, Skeppsbron. June 27, Trimaranerna races in a Speed Duel, outside Skeppsbron 17.00-18.30. June 28, Fleet Race, course racesr in Sandhamn 13.00-17.00. June 30, Presskonferens Eurocard Gotland Runt, Sandhamn. 15.00 July 2, Start Eurocard Gotland Runt, Sandhamn, 13.00 Follow the toughest regatta in Northern Europe at www.nokiaoopscup.com. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 June 2006 ) |
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