Baltic Offshore Week 2019 regatta which is also considered as the Estonian and Finnish ORC Championships, was kicked off with a 30-40-miles long offshore race in Helsinki, on Friday, June 14th. This regatta has been held yearly on the both shores of the Finnish Gulf since 2008. 39 offshore sailing teams – 28 from Finland and 11 from Estonia experienced a bit autumn-like nasty and wet weather. The wind and weather forecast betrayed the Race Committee led by Madis Ausman, being 180 degrees different what was the forecast. Arriving to the starting area in front of the Hernesaari, massive fog appeared on the sea preventing to start racing what was scheduled for 11 am.

After waiting about an hour, the fog started to fade and all three groups got their race started around midday. The main issue during today’s race was fog, which made racing and decision making harder since the competitors were not visible to each other.

BOW2019 Helsinki, Finland – Day 1 – photo Piret Salmistu

The first boats to finish the race was Group C having sailed 5 hrs 55 minutes to 6 hrs and 27 minutes. According to corrected time the winner of the 30.5 nM long offshore race in this group was Arttu Hult’is Inferna FIN6863 (Inferno 31) with a margin of 3 minutes and 7 seconds ahead of Markku Auvinen’ Donna FIN4493 (Inferno 31). Third place in this group went to Heikki Vesalainen’ Uhuru FON10879 (First 31.7).

BOW2019 Helsinki, Finland – Day 1 – photo Piret Salmistu

In group ORC B three boats to lead the race were Estonians – Arcona 340 Katariina II of Aivar Tuulberg, Italia 9,98F of Marjaliisa Umb and X-35 mod My Car of Harles Liiv. At the same time one of the slowest boats in the fleet by GPH, First 34.7 Jazz of Viljar Sepp sailed so well through the fog that managed to decrease the margins with the boats ahead of them and increasing with the ones behind them. The results on the Notice Board were in favour of Jazz EST465 who managed to precede Katariina II EST646 team by 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Sugar EST774 takes the third place from offshore race, 42 seconds behind of Katariina II.’

BOW2019 Helsinki, Finland – Day 1 –

In group A the first boat to finish was TP52 Zer0Emission with Anssi Lyden after being sailed 6 hrs 16 minutes and 8 seconds. But in the corrected times the victory goes to Seppo Sjöroos Grand Soleil 45 Seanna  FIN11762 with a 14 seconds margin ahead of Sakari Laulajainen’ Salona 37 Ramdata FIN11611. Third place in this group goes to Eero Pank’s Salona 38 ibc Credit24 Reval Café EST703.

Racing will continue with inshore races on Saturday, the first Warning Signal scheduled for 11 am.