The 98th Scandinavian Gold Cup opened on Wednesday evening at Olympic Marine, in Lavrion, Greece, but due to extreme weather conditions, all racing has been abandoned for at least the first two days.
All 5.5 Metre challenging for the Cup were in the water ready for the scheduled start of racing on Thursday . . . when the unusual decision to abandon racing on Thursday as well as Friday was taken. A decision on Saturday racing will be taken Friday afternoon.
With very strong winds, heavy rain showers, and unseasonable low temperatures on Wednesday, the chance of any racing looked slim. The area is suffering from the deep low pressure to the south and experiencing sustained northerly winds in excess of 40 knots.
The fleet sheltered inside the Kaleo Restaurant at Olympic Marine for the opening ceremony on Wednesday evening as the wind battered the roof and the rain drummed on the windows.
Sunday can also be used for the Scandinavian Gold Cup but is also equipment inspection day for the 2026 World Championship, scheduled to start on Monday 5 Oct.
Thankfully the forecast for next week looks good in terms of wind, but still quite cool for the time of year.