2024 Scandinavian Gold Cup at Yacht Club de l’Odet in Bénodet: A Premier Sailing Event

2024 Scandinavian Gold Cup at Yacht Club de l’Odet in Benodet – Day 1

29 August – 7 September 2024

During the first two races of the Scandinavian Gold Cup at the Yacht Club de l’Odet in Benodet, both John B (skippered by Gavin McKinney, Lars Horn Johannessen, and Justin Cunningham) and Ali Baba (Flavio Marazzi, Julie Marazzi, and Eline Marazzi) secured a race win each amidst challenging light winds.

With this format, the competition continues until one boat claims three victories overall.

The sea breeze fluctuated significantly, reaching only brief spells of 10 knots, alongside patches of lighter winds that required sailors to remain vigilant. Despite the tricky conditions, the event attracted a fleet of skilled competitors, including former Olympians and numerous world champions.

“We started close to Caracole, whom we consider a very fast boat, and we kept pace with them,” said McKinney. “They gained a slight advantage and tacked in front of us, but we opted to go behind and found better pressure, arriving at the weather mark with an inside overlap.”

“We raced neck and neck downwind, choosing the right-hand gate while they took the left, and then we tacked at a favorable wind shift, maintaining our lead to the finish.”

The 5.5M fleet is known for its welcoming nature towards newcomers and boasts many seasoned sailors who have participated in the class for generations. Flavio Marazzi, once a winner with his father two decades ago, returned to the competition for the first time, sailing alongside his teenage daughters, Julie and Eline, and claiming victory in the second race of the day.

Most competitors favor the pin end of the start line. The Jean Genie (Peter Morton, Andrey Palfrey, and Ruairidh Scott) surged ahead off the line. However, McKinney’s John B reached the windward mark simultaneously.

The Marazzi family skillfully pulled ahead during the first downwind leg. Flavio shared, “There was fierce competition for the second, third, and fourth positions, allowing us to create a bit more distance.”

“This is our first Scandinavian Gold Cup after qualifying last year in the world championship at Porto Cervo – we were fortunate to be the best Swiss team there,” Eline explained. Julie added, “It was our first time racing this boat internationally, and it was an incredible experience.”

Concurrently, racing continues this week for the Hankø Evolution Cup and the Royal Haag Classic Cup, featuring older Evolution boats and Classic 5.5 Metres, respectively.

In the Classic category, beautifully restored 5.5 Metre Manuela V (Guido Tommasi, Matteo Barison, and Andrea Racchelli) celebrated two strong races, even defeating some newer Evolution boats in the first race. “In the afternoon, the winds were excellent,” Tommasi remarked. “We were fortunate to have two fantastic races with a classic boat, and I am very pleased with its performance.”

In the Evolution fleet, another Ali Baba (Wolf-Eberhard Richter, Beata Kallkowski, and Jorg Grunewald) won both of today’s races. Grunewald highlighted the challenges, stating, “The first race was tough in light winds, as we had to navigate effectively. However, it was an exhilarating experience.”

Despite a promising start in the second race, they momentarily lost ground going up the left side of the first windward leg. “We managed to catch up on the downwind leg and found a strong wind shift that ultimately worked in our favor, although it was a challenging race. Overall, it was a lot of fun, and we truly enjoyed the day.”

Racing for the Scandinavian Gold Cup, Hankø Evolution Cup, and Royal Haag Classic Cup will continue for two more days, leading up to the 5.5 Metre World Championship, which will also be held by the Yacht Club de l’Odet next week.

For more information, visit www.yco-voile.fr/5-5-benodet-2024.