fivepointfive - April 2023

2022 SCANDINAVIAN GOLD CUP - HANKØ, NORWAY
The Jean Genie
lets itself go in Hankø
The 2022 Scandinavian Gold Cup, Class Cups and World Championship was
hosted by Hankø Yacht Club, in Norway. The new Dave Hollom designed Jean
Genie took both of the major prizes, the first British boat ever to do so.
It was a long wait for what turned out to be an
amazing event. Delayed by a year because of the
pandemic, the 5.5 Metre fleet finally made it back to
Hankø in July 2022 for the first time in 13 years to
race the Scandinavian Gold Cup, the Class Cups and
the World Championship.
Hankø is the traditional home of Norwegian 5.5 Metre sailing
and over the two weeks many sailors enjoyed the superb and
welcoming hospitality of the Hankø islanders with lavish parties
at summerhouses and at the fabulous Hankø Yacht Club. Apart
from a few wet days, the fleet enjoyed some amazing summer
weather with high temperatures and hot sunshine making for a
very holiday atmosphere.
For the Gold Cup, six nations were fielding teams including the
defender Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne, Trond
Solli Sæther). However the opening day brought wins for Ku-Ring-
Gai 3 (AUS 66, John Bacon, Terry Wetton, James Mayjor) and Jean
Genie (GBR 42, Elliot Hanson, Andrew Palfrey, Sam Haines).
The day began grey with light, shifty winds, with the first race
sailed in 6-8 knots. However, during the day the wind gradually
strengthened to peak at about 15-18 knots during the second
race. The rain held off during racing, while bucketing down
before leaving the dock and after returning.
The Artemis team had held the cup since 2018 and got off
to a good start, building a comfortable lead in the first race,
though Ku-Ring-Gai 3 was pushing hard and closed up on
several occasions. However, a rare mistake from Nergaard on the
finish line, with confusion over the extensions of the line, let the
Australians take the first race by less than a boat length.
The wind was beginning to build further as the second race
started, with Artemis forcing Jean Genie out of the start. They
restarted but were last with a lot of work to do. However, as the
wind and the chop increased, they worked their way through the
fleet, rounding the top in fourth, and then took the lead on the
second upwind as the new Dave Hollom design came into its
own and powered through the fleet. They led round the next lap
to take the win.
John Bacon: “It was a great day. We came here, our first
event in a modern and honestly, we were very happy to qualify
for Australia in the Gold Cup and really we didn’t expect to
have a win in the first race, as we know how brutal it is.
“It was very light this morning and we were set up for it
and got a good start and fought it out with Kristian all the
way around the course. He was in front of us pretty much all
the way and we snuck in for a win at the end.
“In the second race there was a lot more wind and we
weren’t quite prepared for that today. We got a fourth. We
were first round the top mark after the first beat, but we let a
couple of boats through.
“But I couldn’t be more happy to get a win in the Gold
Cup, and here in Hankø is unbelievable.”
12 • fivepointfive • APRIL 2023