Fast pace predicted for Roschier Baltic Sea Race

Fast pace predicted for Roschier Baltic Sea Race

by RORC Press Jul 26 15:10 UTC
July 27, 2024

Just two days before the start of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, weather forecasts predict record-breaking conditions with strong winds during the 635-mile race.

Potentially three days into the race, the fleet could see a 30 knot gradient breeze from the north or northwest, with more in the gusts. The scratch boat in this second edition is the Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA) of Christian Zugel. The weather forecast suggests that Tschüss 2 could complete the race in less than two days and break the course record* by more than 24 hours. (*2022 race – 3 days 00 hours 27 minutes 37 seconds I Love Poland).

Fast pace predicted:

“It looks like a fast race, but the first third of the race west to Sweden could be quite light and tricky,” said Tschüss 2 navigator Campbell Field. “The forecast is a bit unstable at the moment, but for that part of the race we could see periods of force 7 or less. Once we reach the Swedish coast, the wind should shift to the west and hopefully we will have a nice fast jet wind all the way to the southern tip of Gotland.

“After that we could see some pretty serious winds from the north, some models are showing over 40 knots. It could be in front of the beam of Tschüss 2 and a pretty rough sea. We might not see waves of more than two meters, but the wave period will be very short, so it could be quite wet and unpleasant for a while. We could finish the race in less than 48 hours, but that’s assuming we sail the boat at 100% and that we don’t have any failures.”

Campbell Field believes the start of the race can make or break the chances of an overall win after IRC time correction. “The start and the Swedish coast are where you can potentially win or lose the race, as there can be ‘holes’ in the wind that you can get caught in. After that you run out of tactical options with a lot of reaching for the rest of the course. The slower boats behind us can see winds in the 40s and waves of over four metres in a very short period.”

Given the current weather forecast, Tschüss 2 is not only favourite to take Line Honours, but also very much in the running for the overall victory under IRC for the Baltic Sea Race Trophy. However, after IRC time correction, Tschüss 2 has serious competition for the victory under IRC Overall.

“We have some well-sailed high performance boats to compete with, crewed by sailors who have raced extensively in this part of the world. This will be my third race in the Baltic and we have had over 30 knots of wind in the previous two races, so in my experience this is a windy race course!” concludes Field.

Safety first:

The international fleet has gathered in Marina Bay Helsinki to prepare for the second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race. The ‘Guest Harbour’ off Finland’s capital, with its elegant Art Nouveau buildings and chic restaurants, is packed with racing boats undergoing final checks by the RORC Race Team as they prepare for the 635-mile race.

“The boats are undergoing their pre-race safety checks,” confirmed Chris Jackson of the RORC Race Team. “We are very pleased to say that the entire fleet has done a fantastic job so far in preparing for the Roschier Baltic Sea Race. The Race Management Team is here to help in any way they can to ensure that the competitors have a safe and memorable race.”

Steve Hayles, navigator for Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán (SWE): “After the light winds at the start it looks like a varied and complex scenario for the first part of the race, ranging from light upwind conditions to medium wind speeds. At Rán, after rounding Gotland, the forecasts vary in the expected maximum wind speed, but it is possible that we will see 40 knots and that will make for a challenging, fast and very wet ride home.”

Thor Karlsen’s First 40.7 Lykke (NOR) has the highest IRC classification in IRC Two. This is the first race for the all-Norwegian team. “I wasn’t sure whether Lykke would race at the bottom of the rankings in IRC One or as the highest rated boat in IRC Two. Since it looks like a windy race, it’s probably better to race in IRC Two,” says Thor Karlsen. “I think we need about four days to finish the race. We would like to win our class and in my experience the team that makes the least mistakes usually wins! After we finish, I want to join the Royal Ocean Racing Club and our big goal for next year is the Rolex Fastnet Race.”

“It’s always a wet ride on WetJob, hence the name!” smiled Niclas Heurlin, skipper of Farr 400 WetJob (SWE), which won IRC One in 2022 but now faces stiff competition in IRC One. “We have the same core crew as in 2022, but we have made some changes to the sails, mainly to improve our reach, as the sail wardrobe was very windward before. Ideally, we would have light conditions that would suit us against the big fast boats in our class, which doesn’t seem likely. However, we will race as best we can and improve our performance, regardless of the outcome.”

The German youth team racing the HSV JV 52 Haspa Hamburg (GER) are all 29 years old or younger and are captained by Cosima Cramer. “We have only sailed together as a team for one training weekend, but most of the team members have raced many miles offshore, including the first edition of this race,” said Cosima, who raced aboard the Carkeek 47 Störtebeker in 2022 and is one of five female sailors aboard Haspa Hamburg. “Safety always comes first and it looks like this will be a very fast race of about five days. Haspa Hamburg is a strong, heavy boat, so a strong wind is good for us and very exciting.”

Among the seven teams competing in IRC Two-Handed is the highly experienced team of Fredrik Rydin and Johan Tuvstedt who will be racing the J/121 Jolene (SWE). “The boat is not really optimised for doublehanded and is designed for a crew of 10, but the 380 litres of water ballast will help the righting moment,” says Fredrik Rydin. “We have a Code Zero, but we don’t have the right angle to fly it when the strong wind is in front of the thwart. In those conditions we will still push hard, but make sure we stay in control.”

More information at balticsearace.rorc.org