New teams in the winner's circles today at the ORC European Championship

Today’s 10-12 knot conditions were once again perfect for tight inshore racing at the 2024 ORC European Championship with some new teams having entered the winner’s circles in the day’s two Windward-leeward races.

While Karl Kwok’s TP 52 BEAU GESTE (HKG) continues to dominate Class A, the fight for Silver and Bronze medals in this class remains intense with three teams within 4 points in the standings. In today’s first 7.4-mile race Jacek Chaboowski’s HH42 SCAMP THREE (POL) had their best result thus far in the series, crossing the finish line just 9 seconds astern of Johannes Wackerhagen’s Kneirim 49 DESNA (GER) yet correcting to be 5 seconds ahead to take second place. 

In the second race the margin to earn second place was even tighter on the same length course: after an hour of racing Jens Kuphal’s Landmark 43 INTERMEZZO (GER) defeated DESNA by only 2 seconds in corrected time.

On the strength of their second place finish in the Long Offshore race and their two bullets earned in yesterday’s inshore racing, Class B is being led handily by Tiit Vihul’s modified X-41 OLYMPIC (EST). 15 points separates OLYMPIC from the new class runner-up in the standings, Erik Stannow’s X-41 DIXI 4 (DEN), who won today’s first race, and has a narrow 2-point lead over another Danish X-41 - Soren Junker’s NEXUS.

“We had a good day today, the best so far for us,” said Stannow. “We have two more days to race and the team is confident we will do our best.”

The second-place score for OLYMPIC in Race 5 was an average points redress given for being unable to race due to a collision they had towards the end of Race 4 with Jack Jogi’s X-41 FORTE (EST) where their stern pulpit was broken off. The team is working on a repair that will get them back out on the race course tomorrow.

Besides DIXI 4, another team new to the Class B winner’s circle today was Per Roman’s JPK 11.80 GARM (SWE). Team member Gustavo Martinez Doreste said “The win didn't come easily, perfection was key! With a strong start from the pin end, we maintained the lead throughout. To finish in the top five [in this class], every race has to be flawless!”

Another Class B team that had a great day with scores of 2-3 is ARABELA (LTU), Raimondas Šiugždinis ITALIA 11.98. They are showing great promise on the inshore races but unfortunately their DSQ for a rounding mark error made in the non-discardable Race 1 will make it difficult for them to keep climbing up the ranks.

On Class C the scoreline for the defending champions - Ott Kikkas’s Italia 9.98 SUGAR (EST) - makes it look like their straight bullets today may have been easy in giving them a 4.5 point lead over current runner-up TEAM PRO4U (SWE), Patrik Forsgren’s modified First 36.7, but helmsman Sandro Montefusco said otherwise.

“The first race went well. We got a strong start and had a good lead through the race,” he said. “But the second we did not have a good start and had to fight around the course. Its good we have such a strong team, they pulled us through on this.”

Even so, SUGAR’s victory margins in an hour of sailing the two 5.6 and 5.7-mile courses for about an hour were not much: 29 seconds in the first race and 12 seconds in the second.

A look at the leaderboard in this class says it all: for the remaining two days of racing these two teams along with the current 3rd and 4th placed Estonian teams - Marcus Zuravljov’s modified First 36.7 AMSERV TOYOTA ST and Aivar Tuulberg’s Arcona 340 KATARINA II - will be wrestling over every point in the narrow 7-point gap that separates them now.

After a Skipper’s briefing at 0830 local time, tomorrow will be a Short offshore race starting at 11:00 and intended to be about 6 hours in length for all classes. The final day of racing will be Saturday with as many as two races scheduled to start at 11:00 local time, followed by the Awards ceremony.