Roschier Baltic Sea Race: a warm welcome awaits in Helsinki

After Tschüss 2 (USA) claimed line honours on day three of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, the strong northerly wind has continued into the fourth day of racing, giving hard upwind conditions for the fleet still racing. Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 52 Rán (SWE) finished in the early hours of day four in elapsed time of 2 Days 15 Hrs 34 Mins 24 Secs, which was outside the IRC corrected time of Tschüss 2.

Rán enjoyed a warm welcome and cold beers in the company of the RORC Race Team, including Race Officer Chris Jackson. Team Rán was visibly tired but in good spirits despite the disappointment of finishing second. Niklas Zennstrom is a strong supporter of racing in the Baltic where he learnt to sail growing up in Stockholm. Rán navigator Steve Hayles commented that the team had raced in the last two editions of the Gotland Runt and now the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, and that they had all been windy races - more evidence that the world’s newest offshore 600-miler is not an easy challenge. Rán tactician Bouwe Bekking commented that in general he thought it was a great race track.

Next to complete the tough race was Arto Linnervuo’s Infiniti 52 Tulikettu Redkik (FIN) in an elapsed time of 2 Days 22 Hrs 25 Mins 02 Secs. Tulikettu Redkik was the first Finnish boat to complete the 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race. Skipper Arto Linnervuo also achieved that honour in 2022 with Xp44 Xtra Staerk (FIN). However, the 2024 race was a very different experience to the inaugural race.

“The second edition has seen a dramatic change from 2022. We have faster boats with professional crews, more cruiser racers with corinthians racing as friends or families,” commented Arto Linnervuo. “These are the ingredients of a great offshore race which is growing fast, and I am really excited to see what happens in the 2026 Roschier Baltic Sea Race. I hope that this race will soon reach the same number of competitors as the RORC Caribbean 600. I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t.”

“For this race, The Baltic Sea showed what it can offer,” continued Arto Linnervuo. “We have experienced a huge range of conditions from light wind to rough weather from all angles, except maybe broad reach. The crews on all the boats have had to manage that and the finer points, as we have seen a lot of wind shifts as well. You have to stay alert; it is not just about reading navigation software. This race was tough, but in our case we have seen rougher conditions in the Rolex Fastnet Race, so this was nothing new to us but it was a fantastic test for the crew and the boat.”

Arto has a message for the boats that are still racing in the Roschier Baltic Sea Race. “You will all have a very warm reception at Marina Bay Helsinki. All the sailors that have finished appreciate what you have been through, keep fighting. The last boat will get the warmest welcome of all.”

Out on the race course 32 boats are still racing and all of them have rounded the southern tip of Gotland, pointing their bows towards the finish line in Helsinki. The strong northerly wind is still in play, giving a tough beat. However, weather forecasts are suggesting that the wind will back to the west and ease somewhat, giving fast reaching conditions at a much more comfortable angle.

IRC ONE:

Taavet Hinrikus’ MAT 1220 Nola (EST), skippered by Margus Uudam leads on the water with 80 miles but is second after IRC time correction. IRC Class One leader after time correction is Per Roman’s JPK 1180 Garm (SWE) with 95 miles to go. Dirk Clasen’s Humphreys 39 Ginkgo (GER) is third, just two hours behind on IRC corrected time from Nola.

“Everything is perfect on Nola, no breakages and the crew is fantastic,” commented navigator Nacho Postigo by satellite. “We have been fighting against our friends on Garm who are sailing really, really well. On top of that Garm has a very good speed to rating ratio that makes it almost unbeatable when it falls in the hands of such a good crew but we will keep trying.”

IRC TWO:

The Royal Swedish Youth Team racing First 36.7 Team Pro4U (SWE), skippered by Linnea Floser lead the class with 135 miles to go. Pro4U will shortly round the Estonian Coast and finally ease sheets for Helsinki. After IRC time correction, Pro4U has a nine-hour lead over J/109 Irie (FIN) which has moved up to second in class. Irie is raced doublehanded by Julius Haartti & Sanna Moliis, who have 191 miles to go. Philip Schroderheim & Madeleine Lithvall’s J/99 Vitesse (SWE) also racing doublehanded is 180 miles from the finish and up to third, less than an hour behind Irie after IRC time correction.

IRC TWO-HANDED:

J/121 Jolene (SWE) raced by Fredrik Rydin & Johan Tuvstedt still lead the six-pack of doublehanded teams in the Roschier Baltic Sea Race but their lead has been cut to just over two hours after IRC time correction. Figaro II The Spirit (DEN) raced by Swedish couple Ander Lundmark & Louise Edgren have had a great leg after rounding Gotland. In third place for IRC Two-Handed is Irie.

MOCRA:

In the MOCRA Class the TS42 Catamaran Squid (FIN) skippered by Janne Kjellman & Marko Maki is just 50 miles from the finish of the race. Squid competed the race in 2022 to set the multihull record of 4 Days 7 Hrs 29 Mins and 33 Secs. Squid is predicted to beat that record by over 24 hours later today.