Eker Süzme Crowned First Cape 31 Gold Cup Champions as Django Climb to Second
Ahmet Eker's Eker Süzme are the first Cape 31 Gold Cup champions after four days and ten races in Saint-Tropez, winning by 17 points in a record 28-entry fleet.
The Turkish team went into the final day 17 points clear, but with their discard already used on a 21st in race 5, every result counted in full. After Friday's four races, the fleet were back on the water at sunrise to make the most of a short window of breeze and squeeze in two final races. It proved a tricky last day in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, and Eker Süzme had to dig deep for a 9th and a 10th, enough to finish on 41 points and seal the title.
Behind them, the final day reshaped the podium. Vittorio Lombardi Stronati's Django started the day fourth, and a 13th in race 9 followed by second place in race 10 lifted them to second overall on 58 points. Marcus Brennecke's Hatari, winners of the opening race on Wednesday, held on to third on 63 points.
Marcus Brennecke said:
“It was a great week. We had a very good race officer, who I think did everything perfectly, and Eker Süzme are well-deserved winners. They sailed very well the whole week, with one bad race, but otherwise very consistent.
“We had our issues, with two OCS on the second day, and we made it a little tougher for ourselves, but in the end we’re happy with third place. Everything is very close. It’s great to have this fleet, it’s very competitive, and like always you need to get off the start line well. It was a great event, with great competition and great organisation. So what shall I say? Happy.”
Alessandro Rombelli's Stig, the Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit champions, won race 9 to climb into fourth, level on 69 points with Guy Gillon's Khumbu, who started the day second but finished fifth on countback after a difficult final two races.
Race 9 was an absolute nail-biter, with Stig pipping Kalantis and the Corinthian (1 Pro) team Milkwave right at the finish. That left the top six separated by just a handful of points going into the final race, with Eker Süzme needing to finish better than 18th to be sure of the title. Kalantis followed their second in race 9 with fourth in race 10.
Andrea Castrucci's Chisum then won the final race of the regatta, ahead of Django and Richard Thompson's Black Seal 2, to give the Corinthian division a race win against the rest of the fleet.
That bullet completed a remarkable record: ten different winners in ten races. Race victories were shared by Hatari, Khumbu, G-Spot, Eker Süzme, Black Seal 2, Gecko d'or, Django, Kalantis, Stig and Chisum, underlining the depth of competition in the fleet.
Black Seal 2 finished sixth overall, with Nikolai Burkart's Gecko d'or seventh, Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa eighth, Kalantis ninth and Black Battalion completing the top ten.
In the Corinthian division, Lennard van Oeveren's Motions, who led from the second day, are the first Corinthian Gold Cup winners on 109 points. Chisum's final-race bullet secured second on 121, with Outrage by Sériès third on 146.
Lennard van Oeveren, owner of Motions and Chairman of the Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit Committee, said:
“It was great. It couldn’t have been better, I think. The race committee did an excellent job of running the races in the perfect wind spots and really made good choices. It’s amazing to sail with so many boats. Twenty boats is completely different to the 28 we had here, and the level is so high. Every boat is doing an excellent job and sailing very well.
“First of all, it’s great to sail with friends here. We enjoyed the competition because there were a lot of other Corinthian teams this time, and I think that’s good for the class as well, that we can show you can also sail in this class as a Corinthian team.
“It was amazing to sail with Checco Bruni at this event. It was his first time on the boat in this fleet, so we all had to get to know each other, but bringing such sailing intelligence and knowledge on to our boat, we learned so much.
“Everything has to be spot on. It’s about good training and good materials, but also having a good atmosphere on board and staying focused until the last leg, because it’s up and down a lot. The fleet is always close, sometimes a bit too close at the marks, and you can easily gain five to ten places if you do the right things.
“It’s great that the Turkish guys won this event. They’ve been sailing very well all season, so a big congratulations to them.”
Speaking after racing, Eker Süzme owner Ahmet Eker said:
“It feels really good. It was a great event for us and Saint-Tropez is really nice. We had different weather, and tricky weather, especially today. It was very tricky for us, but we managed to come back and we had a great event, so thanks to everyone organising this event. It has been a great week with 28 boats, so it’s growing. We see it growing and we love it a lot.
“We have been sailing together for two years now without any change in the team, and I think this is what helps. We have been getting better and better every race, and it paid off at this event. Keeping the crew consistent and working every day made this a really good event for us.
“We did really consistent races almost every day, with only one bad race, and that gave us the win. So we are very happy. I congratulate my crew, they did a great job, and our coach did a great job getting us here.
“We were looking at the boats coming in, Django, Stig and Khumbu, and it was tough. They were very close to us, so we were a little worried in the last race, where we were in a bad spot, but we somehow managed to come back. It was a really tough day today, but in the end it turned out to be very good, so we are very happy.”
At the prize giving, Victoria Tomlinson Cheney, Mediterranean Class Manager, said:
“What a week. A year ago the Cape 31 Gold Cup was just an idea, and today we’re standing here in Saint-Tropez at the end of the very first one. I’m so proud of what this class has become.
“We had ten different winners in ten races, which shows just how close and open this fleet is.
“To all of you, the owners, the sailors and the teams: you’re what makes this class so special, on the water and off it. So here’s to the first ever Cape 31 Gold Cup, and to many more!”
She also thanked the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez for their outstanding hospitality, organiser Adrien Follin, without whom the event would not exist, race officer Clément and the race committee for brilliant racing in all conditions, the umpires and jury, measurers Andy and Adam, and Sailing Energy for their images.
Final top five: Eker Süzme, Django, Hatari, Stig and Khumbu.
Photography: Sailing Energy
Thank you to Quantum Sails, Sertinox and Exhibit Group, partners of the Cape 31 Gold Cup, and to Henri Lloyd and North Sails for their continued support of the class.
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