VENUE PROFILE


MARVELLOUS MARSTRAND It’s super cool,


it boasts


stunning scenery and its natural ‘amphitheatre’ gives crowds a grandstand view of the action. Match Racing 360° asks whether Marstrand could be the greatest match racing venue in the world.


Once upon a time, the tiny Swedish island of Marstrand’s biggest claim to fame was that it was the best place in all of Europe from which to catch herring. How things have changed. Several hundred years on, Marstrand has not only become an uber-cool summer resort but it has also cemented its reputation as one of the world’s premier sailing venues thanks to its stunning scenery, countless inlets and sheltered harbour.


It may be just two kilometres long and one kilometre wide, but Marstrand has set the blueprint for match racing venues, owing to its unique arena-like setting, bringing fans closer to the action than almost anywhere else in the world. Nestled in Sweden’s western archipelago, the rugged coastline surrounding Marstrand Fjord creates a natural showground for racing that was first pioneered by Swedish sailing legend Magnus Holmberg.


An Olympic dinghy sailor, two time America’s Cup veteran and former match racing world champion, Holmberg saw Marstrand’s potential as a world class venue, launching Match Cup Sweden. That was 17 years ago, and this year’s event saw more than 100,000 people swarm to Marstrand to catch the racing from the island’s natural grandstand.


Photo: Loris Von Siebenthal / myimage


MATCH RACING 360° | AUGUST 2011


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