Roschier Baltic Sea Race, battle for Line Honours Decided Today

Line Honours for the Roschier Baltic Sea Race is expected to be decided today after four days and three nights of intense racing for the front runners. Under the IRC Rating Rule a large variety of boats are emerging as contenders for the overall win. Conditions in the Baltic Sea are ever changing, adding to the thrill of the 635-mile race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club together with the Ocean Racing Alliance.

Battle for Line Honours

After rounding Gotland in the early hours of day three, the leaders in the race had a difference in tactics. Volvo 70 GP Bullhound with Per Roman at the helm and Volvo 70 I Love Poland, skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, gybed north. While VO65 Ambersail 2 skippered by American Clarke Murphy continued to sail west. Ambersail 2 took another hitch west towards the Latvian Coast and at one stage there was 40 miles of separation from the duelling Volvo 70s. The three teams converged on the next mark of the course; the Ristna Lighthouse off the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. GP Bullhound was the first, rounding Ristna Lighthouse just before 0100 local time. Ambersail 2 was just two minutes and 31 seconds behind, showing a net gain since Gotland of over one hour. I Love Poland rounded the Ristna Lighthouse one hour and 20 minutes behind GP Bullhound, a net loss on the leg of an hour and 50 minutes.

At 1000 local time on 24 July, Ambersail 2 had taken the lead on the water and was 42 miles from the finish of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race. GP Bullhound was a mile astern and I Love Poland two miles from pole position. Tilmar Hansen's German TP52 Outsider was coming in hot and is only four miles behind the leaders. Outsider by name and nature, the German team should not be discounted for the battle for Line Honours in the Roschier Baltic Sea Race.

A quick look at the boats racing in other classes for the Roschier Baltic Sea Race. The only multihull in the race; Janne Kjellman's Finnish TS42 Squid has rounded Gotland and heading north 256 miles from the finish in Helsinki.

In IRC One, Ed Bell's British JPK 1180 Dawn Treader leads after time correction by just 15 minutes from Arto Linnervuo's Finnish Xp-44 Xtra-Staerk, with the Hakan Groenvall's Swedish First 40 C-me in third. Niclas Heurlin's Swedish Farr 400 Wetjob leads on the water, 217 miles from Helsinki.

In IRC Two, Paer Lindfors & Nadine Kugel racing Swedish Albin Nova Mobline Two-Handed is leading after IRC time correction and on the water 288 miles from Helsinki. Despite being 311 miles from the finish, the back marker in the race, Salla Kaven's Finnish H-323Silver Moon II is second in class after time correction. The Finnish Sea Scouts racing MP42 Tokka-Lotta and skippered by Philippa Rytkönen is third in class after IRC time correction.

In IRC Two-Handed, Team Mobline is leading. Julius Haartti & Sanna Moliis racing Finnish J/109 Irie is second after time correction. Third in class is Anders Lundmark & Louise Edgren racing Danish Figaro 2 The Spirit.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club will issue a newsflash for Line Honours later today.

The official race supporters of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race are: The City of Helsinki; The Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK), Finnish Offshore Racing Association (AMP); Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK); FINIRC and the Xtra Stærk Ocean Racing Society.