Nokia Oops Cup is a sail racing competition for Formula 60 trimarans. It includes City Races and Offshore Races in the northern Europe. The first Oops Cup event was sailed in 2001. Atlant Ocean Racing is managing the event together with local yacht clubs.
Racing format
Nokia Oops Cup includes both spectator friendly City Races commentated by a speaker and prestigious Offshore Races. The combination of racing disciplines demands highly professional sailors and sets the standard for one of the fastest sailing events in the world.
City Races
The City Races are sailed close to the shore on short courses which make it easy for spectators to follow the action from land. There are two moments in the City Races; a Course Race and several Speed Duels alternatively Speed Races.
The action filled Speed Duels are new for this year. If the weather allows it, the boats compete against each other two at a time.
They sail the same course, round two boys, but in different directions. In that way, they will meet each other several times, and the excitement will be on top! The winner is the one who first crosses the finish line. The seconds are also worth a lot, since the whole City Race can be settled by them (see “Results”).
If there is too much wind for the Speed Duels, an intensive hunt for the seconds will go off in the Speed Races. One boat at a time sails a short distance between two buoys. The winner is the boat that sails the distance in the shortest time.
The Course Race is the second moment in the City Races. It’s “round the buoys" races, where the yachts sail one or more laps around a course marked with buoys.
Even though the City Races are sailed in a limited racing area, it is still possible for the trimarans to reach speeds exceeding 30 knots.
Offshore Races
The Offshore Races included in the Nokia Oops Cup are some of the most popular and prestigious Offshore Races in the northern Europe. Besides Faerder Race and Gotland Runt, this year the Offshore Races lead the way from Horten in Norway to Gothenburg, Helsinki to Copenhagen and finally from Malmo to Kiel, where the cup will be settled.
