One Ton Cup 1990

Marstrand (Sweden) provided excellent sailing conditions for 27 One Tonners, including four new yachts, from ten different countries that competed in the 1990 One Ton Cup, with winds generally fair and up to 30 knots during the short offshore race. 

Okyalos VI - One Ton Cup winner for 1990, in reaching conditions in which she demonstrated a slight edge over her competition

The new boats included Italy's Pasquale Landolfi's new Farr designed Brava, which looked as impeccable as his previous boat (the 1989 One Ton Cup winner that had been bought by Russian yachtsmen and re-named Maestro). Peter de Ridder's latest Mean Machine VII, an impressive looking Judel/Vrolijk design, was part of the line up, along with sistership Amsterdamed. Last but not least of the new boats was the Jeppesen-designed Okyalos VI, built by X-Yachts. 

Russia's Maestro, the ex-Brava - won the first race but then slipped off the pace to finish ninth overall

The first race saw the new Mean Machine with a three-minute lead at the first weather mark, but such were the vagaries of the breeze on the first reach she was almost in last place at the second mark. Other than that first reach the breeze was steady and Mean Machine was able to claw back to seventh place. Maestro won the race in impressive style. However, both offshore races showed the talent of the Okyalos crew, who had won the previous two editions of the Three-Quarter Ton Cup. This, along with their good all-round speed, especially reaching, earned them a win in the long offshore race and third place in the short one, both of which carried a higher points loading than the three inshore courses.

Germany's Saudade soon after rounding a leeward mark chases the pack

Mean Machine was second best offshore, with a third place in the long race and a first in the short one.  Many campaigns were lost in the short offshore race - six yachts lost their rigs: Saudade's just went, Brava lost hers downwind when the runner tail broke, and ABAP/4 lost hers for no obvious reason at all, although her experimental carbon rigging had caused problems before. Fram XI damaged her mast but finished in sixth place under an unusual arrangement of trysail and spinnaker. Okyalos broke a checkstay but the crew managed to keep the rig intact. 

The near-winner of the One Ton Cup, Amsterdamed, approaches a windward mark and prepares for a spinnaker hoist

As a result of the short offshore, only 22 boats were able to make the startline for the fifth and final race, which saw Okyalos and Amsterdamed vying for the Cup, with Amsterdamed needing to finish five places ahead of Okyalos to win. Mean Machine was out of the running due to a DSQ for a premature start in the third race, but won the finale by almost a minute.  Although Amsterdamed started poorly, she came through the fleet and closed in on Okyalos. On the third beat, Okyalos's checkstay broke again. Somehow the rig stayed in the boat, and the crew tacked to effect repairs in time to tack back on the layline to the windward mark. She rounded just ahead of Amsterdamed, but there were enough boats close enough that Amsterdamed sould still take victory. 

Saudade broaches during a pre-Cup training sail

On the downwind leg, the repair team on Okyalos went up the mast once more and Amsterdamed was close enough to attack, but were too close to avoid a luff from Okyalos and their boom touched Okyalos's runner. They immediately hoisted the 'I' flag and accepted a 20% penalty. It was a big mistake as Amsterdamed was able to power up the next beat to put enough boats between them and Okyalos, if not for the 20% penalty. Okyalos were able to nurse their rig to finish in tenth place and claim the One Ton Cup. Amsterdamed took second, while Mean Machine's win in the race gave them third overall. Zurich finished fourth, and Fram XI fifth.

Japan's Ninja rounds a leeward mark behind Saudade

The top boats were all considered close in speed - Jeppesen designs took first and fourth, while Judel/Vrolijk had second and third, and their boats looked good all round with a bit extra upwind. Farr designs took fifth and sixth, and would probably have looked better if Brava had not lost her rig, as she was felt to be close to Mean Machine and Amsterdamed.  The first four boats all sported Diamond sail inventories.

Danish yacht Zurich, finished fourth overall

Okyalos was bought by French interests and became Corum Diamante, forming part of the 1991 French Admiral's Cup team. She returned to Greece after the 1993 Admiral's Cup and has since been repainted in her original scheme and was recently offered for sale by her present German owners.

Corum Diamante (ex-Okyalos VI) during the 1991 Admiral's Cup

Okyalos VI seen more recently, and still looks in race-winning condition