Welcome to Marstrand

The Gold Cup for Nordic Folkboat will be arranged in Marstrand 25 -30 July 2009. The arranging club is GKSS – The Gothenburg Royal Yacht Club. Program: 25/7: measurement/registration. 26/7: measurement/registration/tuning up race. 27 -30/7: races. In this article you will find some informations around Marstrand, and the surroundings, which we hope will be interesting and helpful for all abroad Folkboatfriends. For US and UK sailors we hope to be able to offer some boats – contact Göran Börjesson for further discussions: o31926453@hotmail.com, or phone +4631926453.

The N:r 1 sailing center.

It's not hard to understand why Marstrand has become so popular among sailors. Situated on an island, with no privat cars allowed, and with very nice houses and surrounding nature, everybody strikes by its charm. You step onshore on the Marstrandön (“ön” = “the Island” in Swedish) either from your boat, or from the small blue ferry (F on the chart) which crosses the narrow sound from Koön every quarter of an hour. On Koön (“Cow island” in English) you can park your car, and its here the boats coming with trailers are put into the sea. Here the houses are a little newer, but still very traditionally designed. On Koön you also find the nearest camping (C on the chart) – about 10 minutes walk from the ferry. Tenting is forbidden on Marstrandsön .

In Marstrand there are several options for your accomodation. Besides the camping you have two other low budget alternatives: the youth hostel “Båtellet” (B), and , if you have a tenderboat, the guestharbour (H), where also the folkboat bridge will be. Why not chare a 6-bedroom on Båtellet on two crews? The very cheapest is of course to live in your boat. There are several hotels in Marstrand, Maritime and Grand Hotel are the most exclusive, but there are also smaller nice hotels. Hurry up to book your living! Also on the camping. Marstrand is extreamely popular in summer, and if you are late you must perhaps accept what you can get.

www.marstrand.se is recommended for further informations and booking. Or contact the touristoffice in Kungälv (www.kungalv.nu, 0046 303 18900) or Marstrand (closed in winter, 0046 303 60087).

It is easy to sail or trail the boat to Marstrand. Daily ferries for example from Kiel or Fredrikshavn to Gothenburg - have a look at www.stenaline.se.

Fortress, herring and jet-set paradise.

The big fortress on top on the Marstrandsön is today the most spectacular finding from the history of Marstrand. In older days there was a wooden fortress, but the impressing fortress you will find today is mainly built during the 17.th century. Here the regatta party is planned to be. Marstrand is an old city, founded in the 13.th century. It has had its ups and downs, mostly depending on the herring. Lots of herring in the sea – rich fishermen – rich and blooming town. In the 19.th century Marstrand became the most popular bathing-resort for the jet-set of that time, led by the king of Sweden - Oskar II. It is from that time most of the charming architecture in the city developed.

Today most bathing and sunbathing takes place on the smooth and bulging rocks on the west side of the Marstrandsön – designed by the inland ice 10.000 years ago. There is a nice walking-path around the island if you feel for half an hours walk, especially recommended in the sunset. Marstrand has earlier also been an important commercial port, as it is very sheltered, and free of ice most winters.

You will find nice restaurants and all other things to make your stay enjoyable. Marstrand is since many years the base for GKSS – The Gothenburg Royal Yacht Club – wich of course has made it even more popular among sailors. Every year there are lots of regattas and other sailing events arranged in Marstrand by GKSS. In 2009 the Gold Cup for Nordic Folkboat will of course be the high-light (atleast seen with our folkboat eyes), but The Volvo Around the World Race in early summer, and the world cup in Match Racing are examples of other big events.

The race area for the Gold Cup is just outside the Marstrandsön on the Marstrand Fjord. Here you have the open sea in southwest, and in northwest a line of scerries and small islands ending in the old lighthouse Pater Noster which spreads its light over the neighbourhood at night.

The International Swedish Championship

for Folkboats is sailed just before the Gold Cup, and all abroad Folkboatfriends are welcome to participate. It is a race of its own, and you can of course choose to participate only in the Gold Cup, or only in the Int. Swedish Championship. The race is a part of the Marstrandsregatta – one of the GKSS highlights. Dont miss this possibility to try to learn the tricky currents of the Marstrand Fjord before the Gold Cup. They are weak, seldom more than one knot, but unpredictable. We wish you good luck – not even the old marstrandsailors understand anything from these currents. They are caused by a mix of the tiny tide (about 0,1 m), the winds, low pressures , and God knows what. And don't listen to the old fishermen – I think they understand as little as everybody else.

However – the Marstrand Fjord is a great water for racing, and finally the best crew usually wins. For details, keep an eye on www.gkss.se, www.folkbat.se, and your own Folkboat homesite for invitation and further informations.

If you want to expere something new and spectacular the Tjörn Runt Race (=Around Tjörn Race) is recommended. It is a long run race, and one of the most popular races on the westcoast of Sweden, with about 700 boats participating. It starts in the community of Stenungssund, 13 nautical miles northeast of Marstrand, the third Saturday in August. Preliminary 15/8 2009. Then you race 30 n m clockwise around the big island of Tjörn. Don’t miss the navigation between rocks and islands. And don’t miss the atmosphere in Stenungssund on the Friday evening before. More information on www.tjornrunt.nu or from the swedish westcoast sailors who knows everything about this.

Why not cruise?

Why not spend some weeks in the west coast archipelago cruising? Sail in and out between the islands – nicely designed by the inland ice. Take harbor in one of the old fishing communities, with nice restaurants and all you need, or in a natural harbor. In Sweden there is the “All mans Right” (“Allemansrätten” in Swedish). It says that you are allowed to be on privat ground as long as you dont disturbe the owner or destroy something. Dont litter, don’t make fire on the smooth rocks, don’t take more space than you need – live in harmony with the nature. We are right now producing an article “cruising on the west coast of Sweden” for our Gold Cup guests which will be sent out to all folkboatcountries soon. Or make the real thing if you have time enough: After cruising the west coast, take the Göta Kanal (Göta Channel) from Gothenburg across Sweden to Söderköping on the Swedish east coast. Then you cruise among the 100.000 islands in the archipelago going from Helsinki (the capital of Finland) over to Sweden and south to the city of Oskarshamn. Then you just have a tiny trip around the south of Sweden back to Denmark or Germany.

Finaly:

A big WELCOME to all folkboatfriends to Marstrand 2009! A little luck with the weather, and this will be one of your big sailing experiences!

The Swedish Folkboat Club.