On the eve of the opening of the Korea International BoatShow, the Korea Match Cup kicks off tomorrow at Hwaeseong City in Gyeonggi Province with winner for the past two years, Bjorn Hansen is widely tipped for another strong showing.
The second event of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour seems to suit the Swede’s style, with the weight-sensitive KM36 keelboats and the tight race course reminding him of sailing at Marstrand back in his homeland.
The shifty breeze could make the competition wide open, with other teams from France, Australia, Korea and the US Virgin Islands looking to make their mark.
Bjorn Hansen says, “We like this place, we like Asia, and we like the boats and the venue. I tend to like areas where it’s quite narrow, where I can easily find my way on the race course. And it’s great to see how the venue has been developed since last year. The new clubhouse is fantastic, I couldn’t believe it when I arrived, it has just popped up from nowhere!”
The new clubhouse is just the latest phase of large-scale development of Jeongok Harbour, as the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Kim Moon soo, explained: “Hosting the Korea Match Cup is helping highlight Jeongok Harbour as an emerging Mecca of marine leisure and yachting for north-east Asia.”
Executive Director of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, James Pleasance, said: “It’s great to be carrying on the action so soon after Match Race Germany, moving the competition to this excellent venue for the Korea Match Cup. You can see by how much things have changed since last year that sailing has really taken hold in Korea. This event is an important stage on the Tour because Asia is becoming an increasingly relevant market, both for its sporting and marine tourism opportunities.”