Thrills and Challenges Mark First Days of 2024 ORC Double-Handed Worlds in Norway

The ORC Double-Handed World Championship, organized by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (Kongelig Norsk Seilforening – KNS) in collaboration with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), is on its second day. After more than 27 hours of intense racing, the participants are showcasing their skills and endurance in challenging conditions.

Day 1 and 2 Recap

The championship kicked off with participants navigating light winds in the Oslofjord, a challenging start. Despite initial concerns about the journey to Filtvet, the fleet demonstrated remarkable performance. They then encountered a brisk wind from the south towards Makrellbåen near Arendal, maintaining a high speed of 7-9 knots. The varying winds and currents created an accordion effect, resulting in significant differences in positioning early on. However, no major surprises were noted as some pre-race favorites pulled ahead, establishing solid leads in all three classes.

Class A Highlights

Class A saw fierce competition with Landmark 43 GAME, helmed by Calle Andersen and Espen Guttormsen, leading at the Filtvet Lighthouse mark yesterday evening. They were closely followed by Landmark 43 WHITE SHADOW with Karl Otto and Magda Mare Book onboard and Swan 45 ZORRO of Thomas Robberstad and Per Haugen. Despite GAME's strong start, ZORRO surged ahead in the final stretch towards Arendal. Currently, ZORRO, GAME, and SNAKKEN, Aquatich 40 of Per Sortedahl, and Frode Johansen, are neck and neck, with WHITE SHADOW close behind. Notably, TP52 JOKERMAN, sailed by Per Ottar Skaaret and Thomas Nilsson, has been the fastest with up to 10+knots speed, advancing to 9th place after a slow start. These are all Norwegian teams.

Class B Highlights

In Class B, Dehler 30 HYRROKIN (NOR), crewed by Sigmund Hertzberg and Tim Sandberg, has built a substantial lead, particularly excelling during the journey down to Slemmestad. As the boats head towards Lysekil in Sweden, Arcona 385 LIGHTWORKS (GER), with Michael Höfgen and Eckhard Kaller, holds the second position both physically and in corrected time. The father-daughter duo of Christine Mika and Harald Walder on their JPK 10.80 MIKA is predicted to be in third place.

Sigmund Hertzberg shared his experience on Facebook this morning, detailing the strategic maneuvers and the challenges faced overnight:

“A decent night with increasing wind across the Oslofjord. Both of us managed to get a few hours of sleep. That will probably be an important factor in the next 24 hours. Early in the morning, we sailed into a wind hole. So, from 12-13 knots of wind and water ballast, to a sudden stop. Up with the windseeker and out to meet the new wind. Now we have the wind back, code down, jib up, water ballast in - next is rounding Arendal. It will be sometime between 2:00-4:00 PM as of now, there are 33nm left, so a lot can happen in that time.”

Class C Highlights

Class C has been closely contested, with LETHE (First 34.7) of the Knudsen brothers, Øyvind and Martin, leading the way initially. However, around midday towards Arendal, FLUX X-332, helmed by Halvor Schøyen and Rune Tønnessen, managed to take the lead, while EXTASE X-34 of Robert Halvorsen and Arne Olav Hommefoss moved up to third place.

Weather Challenges Ahead

The competition is set to intensify with a large low-pressure system expected to pass the fleet overnight to Thursday, bringing strong winds with an average speed of 10 m/s. The varying wind directions at Færder lighthouse and Skagen will present additional strategic challenges for the sailors, making it crucial for them to position themselves correctly in relation to the system.

The journey of the boats can be tracked in real-time via the following link: TracTrac

The ORC DH World Championship is supported by Turkish Airlines, Helly Hansen, and Grundig, with major support from the Ministry of Culture and Equality – Norway.