MR360° Personality: Meet the new guys on the tour photos by GARETH COOKE / MONSOON CUP
Height: 177cm Weight: 85kg
Date of birth: 17 Feb 1967
Residence: Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland Twitter: None Facebook: None
Website:
www.mekonomensailingteam.com Education: Naval Architecture Nickname: Piccolo Orso
Superstitions/rituals: Never win a warm up race. Hansen Björn
Little did Bjorn Hansen realise that an act of “robbery” would
pave the way for him to become one of the best sailors in the world. “I got my start in sailing at age four when I stole my sister’s
optimist dinghy,” recalled Hansen, when asked how he first started sailing. After getting a taste of sailing, there was no turning back and
six years later, Hansen won his first race at the Spring Cup, Åmål. Since then, he has been gearing up for the big challenge of
racing full time on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, a dream which will become a reality this season. “I was both happy and relieved when I received news that I
would be getting a tour card. It is going to be tough, but we definitely have a chance to become champions with this team,” said Hansen, who was born in Sweden, but is now a citizen of Finland. Hansen’s confidence stems from the fact he has regularly
competed in what he terms “the world’s leading sailing series.” In fact, Hansen already has two Tour wins under his belt,
winning his home race, Match Cup Sweden in 2007 and last year’s Korea Match Race. It will certainly be a “Swede Finnish” if Hansen lives up to his word by grabbing the 2012 Alpari World Match Racing Tour title.
MATCH RACING 360° | page 32 | March 2012
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