A golf team representing Norwegian shipowners, including some familiar names such as Westye Hoegh and Bryn Skaugen, hoped to wrest back the Anglo-Norwegian Cup from their British counterparts — to kick off the celebrations ahead of this year’s Nor-Shipping event.
But under the weight of expectation, after two days battling it out on the fairways of Walton Heath Golf Club near London, they suffered one of their heaviest defeats in the cup’s 70-year history.
The Anglo team dealt the Norwegians a resounding 9-3 thumping.
The result left Norwegian captain, and former Simonsen Foyen partner, Lars Musaeus to ponder how he might win back the cup to restore some Norwegian golfing pride.
“Your win, again, was well deserved,” he reflected. “We will just have to work harder to bring the engravings back to a better balance.”
However, despite the on-course rivalry, the gathering's goal is to develop Anglo-Norwegian maritime relations.
The contest dates back to when the UK held a strong position in the world of shipowning and shipbuilding. Over the decades UK shipowning has demised, but Norway’s industry remains very much intact, which will be evident at this year’s Nor-Shipping.
The only Anglo participant with any sort of shipowning heritage is Michael Everard, and even that connection is stretching it a little, since he sold James Fisher.
While the Norwegians continue to run shipping businesses, the Brits are left to hone their golfing skills.
In maritime terms, it is the UK that has “taken one hell of a beating” to borrow the phrase of an often quoted Norwegian sporting commentator.
