Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap, Sweden

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.

GBR777 during the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap - photo © Daniel Stenholm

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.

Wednesday racing during the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap - photo © Daniel Stenholm

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.

GBR808 wins the Nordic Folkboat Gold Cup 2024 at Halmstads Segelsällskap - photo © Thomas "Thoya" Johansson

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: