From June 14th to 16th, the ORC A and B class Offshore Sailing Championships of Estonia and Finland were held at Kalev Yacht Club in Tallinn, as part of the Baltic Offshore Week 2024 regatta. Seven races were held over three days of competition – six windward(leeward races and a nearly twelve-hour offshore race. The A class champion of both countries is the crew of Jani Lehti on the yacht Mercedes-Benz (GP 42) from Finland, while the B class championship title went to the Estonian yacht Sugar (Italia 9.98 F), helmed by Sandro Montefusco.
The Baltic Offshore Week has alternated between the northern and southern shores of the Gulf of Finland since 2008. This year’s regatta in Tallinn attracted 22 yachts from Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. Traditionally, this regatta has been highly competitive and is an important preparation for the upcoming ORC championship, which this year will be the ORC European Championship in Mariehamn, Åland, in August.
Day One
The racing day on Friday in Pirita began with a captains’ meeting at Kalev Yacht Club harbor, where chief race officer Andres Talts introduced the race schedule and provided detailed instructions. Despite weak and unstable winds in the morning, conditions improved in the afternoon, allowing three short course races for the A class, although the B class missed out on a third race. At the end of the first racing day, Mercedes-Benz (GP 42) led the A class with scores of 3-1-2, while Sugar (Italia 9.98 F) led the B class with results of 2-1.
Day Two
The second racing day featured a longer offshore race – 40 miles for the A class and 36 miles for the B class. The calm morning winds promised a long day. The A class yachts started smoothly at 11:05, but the B class had to restart at 11:17 after a general recall. The course took the yachts around Aegna, Tallinna Vahemadal, Keskmadal, and Uusmadal, then back past Keskmadal and Littegrund east mark, with a final leg from Vahemadal to round Katariina quay mark and finish near Pirita river. The fleet was becalmed at Vahemadal for a long time, but the wind picked up in the afternoon, allowing all yachts to finish between eight and nine in the evening.
The offshore race victory in the A class went to Harles Liiv‘s crew on Shadow (J-112E) with a two-minute lead over Sampsa Vehkamäki‘s yacht Madame Gray (Landmark 43) from Finland. Olympic (X-41 mod) with Tiit Vihul’s crew finished third, two and a half minutes behind the winner.
In the B class, Aivar Tuulberg‘s crew on Katariina II (Arcona 340) won the offshore race, with Sugar finishing just over two minutes behind, and Margus Žuravljov‘s crew on Amserv Toyota ST (First 36.7 mod) coming third, eight minutes and 20 seconds behind the winner.
Day Three
Since the B class missed one short course race on the first day, chief race officer Andres Talts called the B class yachts to the water earlier on Sunday, and with a start at 10:15, they managed to equal the number of races with the A class. From 11 AM, both classes held three more short course races. The southeast wind was highly variable, complicating the lives of both sailors and the race committee, but the goal was to complete six short course races for each class, allowing two worst results to be discarded.
In the A class, despite the yacht Forte (X-41) led by Jaak Jõgi winning two races and placing fourth in one on Sunday, their sixth-place finish in the offshore race (which couldn’t be discarded) left them with a third overall and bronze medals. Despite a fourth-place finish in the offshore race, the Finnish yacht Mercedes-Benz sailed consistently in the inshore races, scoring 3-1-2 and 3-2-2 over two days, and with two discards, accumulated 12.6 points to win the Estonian and Finnish ORC A class championship titles. Harles Liiv‘s crew on Shadow secured second place and silver medals with 14.4 points, bolstered by a strong offshore race win and solid results in the short course races.
In the B class, the teams Sugar and Katariina II, who had shown great results in regattas in the Mediterranean on Swqan 42 and Italia 11.98 earlier in the season, continued their strong performance on Sunday. Sugar scored 1-1-3-2 and Katariina II scored 3-4-1-1. The yachts Amserv Toyota ST led by Margus Zuravljov and the Swedish yacht Pro4u led by Patrik Forsgren, the 2022 Baltic Offshore Week champion, had a close duel in the final inshore race. Although the results of the final race were discarded, Amserv Toyota ST secured third place overall and bronze medals.
Jani Lehti, Class A winner Mercedes-Benz skipper:
“It was a very tough regatta, really close racing, and we won only with a small margin in points. But the feeling is greaT! OUR TEAM WILL HAVE A LITTLE BREAK BEFORE THE ORC EUROPEANS IN MARIEHAMN, ÅLAND in August. But it’s very good to go there with the feeling we got from here!”
Class A silver-winning yacht Shadow’s skipper Harles Liiv commented:
“The championship title was metaphorically just one second away, which we lost to Mercedes-Benz in the first short course race on Sunday. However, we won one second against Nola and six seconds against Xini Freedom in the same race. This illustrates how crucial every second is!
The top four yachts in our class had very close points and no clear dominant boat. On the final racing day, any of these boats could have won the title. The day was marked by very challenging wind conditions, with highly variable land wind blowing from the Pirita River and the top mark very close to shore, making it difficult for yachts with shorter masts and smaller sail areas due to the higher wind above. The 40-degree wind shifts during the races made life tough for the sailors, as every tack and wind loss could be decisive when sailing close together.”
Class B winning team Sugar’s member Marjaliisa Umb noted that the biggest challenge of this regatta was the fickle wind conditions.
“But we also had more luck than usual this time. During the offshore race, where the situation seemed hopeless due to calm conditions, we eventually caught the wind at the right time, and in Sunday’s inshore races, our tactical decisions turned out to be correct, supported by the current wind conditions.
For us, the Baltic Offshore Week was the most important opportunity to train together on this boat before the European Championship in Åland, as we won’t have another chance to sail together on this boat before the EC. We had long days and tried to make the most of it and give our best,” said Marjaliisa.
Class A Top 3:
- Mercedes-Benz GP 42 – Jani Lehti (HSK, Soome) – (3)-1-2-5,6-(3)-2-2 – 12,60
Jani Lehti, Aleksi Lehtonen, Robin Berner, Kenneth Thelen, Sampo Valjus, Tuomas Ikonen, Kaarlo Karvonen, Henrik Resman, Vili Kaijansinkko, Sami Laxman - Shadow J-112E – Harles Liiv (Kalevi JK) – 1-4-(7)-1,4-4-4-(5) – 14,40
Harles Liiv, Tanel Tamm, Janno Hool, Jaan Akermann, Janno Kriiska, Fredy Maalt, Henri Tauts, Raiot Pikmets, Veiko Valts - Forte X-41 – Jaak Jõgi (Kalevi JK) – 2-3-(5)-8,40-1-1-(4) – 15,40
Jaak Jõgi, Indrek Rajangu, Marko Nüüd, Kalev Vapper, Ando Raud, Marti Hääl, Indrek Lepp, Tammo Otsasoo, Sten Taal, Henri Roihu, Jaanus Hannes
Class B Top 3:
- Sugar Italia 9.98 F – Sandro Montefusco (Pärnu JK) – (2)-1-2.80-1-1-(3)-2 – 7.80
Sandro Montefusco, Marjaliisa Umb, Maurizio Loberto, Taavi Vaigla, Siim Ots, Ott Kikkas, Marko Uulits, Paolo Bucciarelli, Matteo Ivaldi, Karl-Robert Trink - Katariina II Arcona 340 – Aivar Tuulberg (Pärnu JK) – (15DSQ)-2-1,40-3-(4)-1-1 – 8.40
Aivar Tuulberg, Karl-Hannes Tagu, August Luure, Joosep Laus, Tobias Reiter, Peter Šaraškin, Lorenzo Bodini, Andrea Trani - Amserv Toyota ST First 36.7 – Margus Zuravljov (Kalevi JK) – (9)-3-4-5-2-2-(14) – 16.20
Margus Žuravljov, Olari Vokk, Marti Kütt, Margus Nõmmik, Martti Kinkar, Anna Maria Sepp, Rene Maajärv, Eva Jakunin
Text by Piret Salmistu, Kalev Yacht Club
