The World Match Racing Tour Returns to Marstrand, Sweden

Running from the 4th to 8th of this month, the GKSS Match Cup Sweden took centre stage in Marstrand, Sweden as scheduled. As a key stop on the World Champion Series of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), the GKSS Match Cup Sweden holds an important position within the global match racing circuit.

The event drew an elite roster of top match racing specialists, including competitors with experience in the America’s Cup and SailGP. Ten teams representing the United States, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark and host nation Sweden battled it out on the iconic match racing waters of Marstrand Fjord.

In the end, Swedish match racing legend Björn Hansen, widely known as the “Master of Marstrand”, steered Team Extend Commerce to claim the title. This marked Hansen’s seventh GKSS Match Cup Sweden victory.

Commenting on the Fareast 28R, the new official race boat for this year’s GKSS Match Cup, Björn Hansen shared that he had previously competed aboard the Fareast 28R at the Monsoon Cup Malaysia back in 2016. He noted the boat’s superior speed and asymmetric spinnaker set-up create an even more competitive match racing environment.

Parallel to the men’s competition, the GKSS Nordea Women’s Match Cup ran successfully on the same stretch of water from July 7 to 9. Six all-female teams raced aboard the Fareast 28R, with Anna Ösdling of Sweden leading Team WINGS to take the women’s championship.