Swedenâs Johnie Berntsson and his Berntsson Sailing Team of Herman Andersson, Oscar Angervall and BjĂśrn Lundgren have won their fourth Bermuda Gold Cup, successfully defending their 2023 title by narrowly defeating Switzerlandâs Eric Monnin/ Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team 2-1 in the final match held in light and shifting winds on Hamilton Harbour late yesterday.
After levelling 1-1 in the first-to-two-point final, the winning moment came down to the last 20 meters of the third race, with Berntsson holding a slim lead while carrying a penalty. In a decisive move, Berntsson successfully forced a penalty on Monnin, clearing all penalties and crossing the finish line first to secure the title. Rounding out the podium is New Zealandâs Nick Egnot-Johnson and his Knots Racing team.
âIt was such close racing, and we knew Eric and his team would be strong in the light wind, so we needed to perform our best.â commented Berntsson. âIt really came down to the last 20 meters; it was very close racing, and they gave us a good push, but we are delighted with the win!â
After a strong performance all week, a dissapointed Monnin reflected on their near win;
âWe almost had the win there and just had to grab it but unfortunately we made one of our most careless moves of the season, so that hurts a bit,â the Swiss helmsman said.
It was a day marked by light and challenging conditions for sailors and race organizers. Starting with a postponement on land to wait for the wind to build, once on the water, there were several race abandonments as the wind direction settled. First to race was the petit-finals with New Zealandâs Egnot-Johnson/ Knots Racing against Chris Pooleâs Riptide Racing. In the first-to-one match due to the light conditions, Poole held a penalty around the course as Egnot-Johnson crossed the finish line ahead to secure their overall third-place podium finish.
âLast year we ended up seventh and this year we ended up third so we are really happy with that result for sure,â Egnot-Johnson said.
In what turned out to be a thrilling final series, Berntsson took the first win off Monnin before Monnin tied the score 1-1. In the match point race, the racing could not have been tighter. Berntsson cleared his penalty just before crossing the finish line victorious for his fourth Bermuda Cup win.
The 2024 Bermuda Gold Cup saw eight of the worldâs top match racing teams worldwide compete for the King Edward VII Gold Cup Trophy and a prize purse of USD 75,000 under demanding and varied conditions throughout the week.
As the penultimate event on the 2024 World Match Racing Tour season, the tour now moves to Shenzhen, China for the season finale from 10-15 December.
