Olympic and Katariina II are the Estonian and Finnish ORC Champions 2025
June 15 – Helsinki, Finland – written by Piret Salmistu – After three spectacular days of racing in the Gulf of Finland, the 2025 edition of the Baltic Offshore Week concluded with the crowning of new Estonian and Finnish national champions in ORC classes A and B. With fresh northerly winds, blue skies, and ideal sailing conditions following days of cold fronts and rain, the event offered a perfect test for top offshore teams preparing for the upcoming Garmin ORC World Championship in Tallinn.
Brisk Conditions and Full Race Schedule
The fleet enjoyed a complete program of eight races, including a mix of windward-leeward and constructed course races across Friday and Sunday, while an offshore race of 42+ nm was sailed on Saturday. Sunday brought the most demanding conditions, with average wind speeds around 15 knots and gusts reaching up to 24 knots, pushing teams to stay sharp in heavy downwind legs and tight tactical battles. As the Principal Race Officer, Andres Talts was pleased that the full race program was successfully completed.
Scoring was based on Performance Curve Scoring (PCS), using Constructed Course formats for windward-leeward races, while the offshore race was scored with the Weather Routing Scoring (WRS)–the methods also applied at the ORC World Championship.
Olympic and Katariina II Take the Titles
In ORC A, the reigning European Champion in Class B, Tiit Vihul’s Olympic (X-41 mod), delivered a commanding performance. Despite a slow start, Olympic surged to the top with three consecutive bullets in the final races to edge past longtime rivals.
“The strong winds on the final day were just fuel to our fire, as those conditions suit us well and we know how to handle them technically. Our gear held up, and we had a bit of luck too! Our crew has been sailing together for a long time, bringing us this great result. We’re excited to see what the ORC Worlds in Tallinn will bring,” commented skipper Tiit Vihul.
In the Olympic team there were sailing Tiit Vihul, Meelis Pielberg, Tanel Trööp, Joel Timm, Aivar Kaljumäe, Raul Vane, Ivo Kais, Indrek Ulla, Kristjan Keert and Kristiina Truuverk.
Forte (X-41), skippered by Jaak Jõgi – Estonia’s first ORC World Champion back in 2014 and European Champion in 2015 – kept the pressure high throughout the regatta and secured a strong second place.
The podium was completed by Fanatic 2 (Italia 11.98), with seasoned skipper Ain-Eke Jalasto guiding a youthful crew with Juss Ojala at the helm, to their first-ever top-three finish at a major ORC title event – a clear sign of a new generation stepping up.
In ORC B, it was the familiar battle between two titans: Katariina II (Arcona 340) and Amserv Toyota ST (First 36.7 mod). With seven consistent top finishes and a final race win, Aivar Tuulberg’s Katariina II, a multiple-time European Champion and 2024 ORC Class C bronze medalist, sealed the overall title ahead of their fierce Estonian rivals.
“This was the sixth time winning the Finnish Championship for me and my team, and the eighth Estonian title. The event was excellent: great organization, fair jury, and everything ran very smoothly. The winds were a bit light for two days, but today, they were strong, which we liked. But in overall we had fantastic sailing conditions with sunshine and steady breeze. It’s been a really good and rewarding regatta. And it’s always tricky and intertesting to sail between islands in Finland,” said Aivar Tuulberg.
In the Katariina II team, there were sailing Aivar Tuulberg, Karl-Hannes Tegu, Peter Šaraškin, Lorenzo Bodini, Joosep Laus, August Luure, Pietro Barucco and Matteo Velicogna.
Juhani Railo’s LOW (First 34.7) stunned many by taking third overall – the Finnish team’s first time stepping onto the podium in a major ORC championship.
Notably absent from Sunday’s final race were Mercedes-Benz (GP42) – in podium contention until they were forced to retire due to a backstay issue – and Amserv Toyota ST, who had to skip the final start, sealing their fate just behind the champions.
Photos of the event on Facebook © Pepe Kortenieimi, © Jussi Nukari, © Kristi Talts
What’s Next
This year’s BOW also marked the return of many prominent programs preparing for the Garmin ORC World Championship 2025 in Tallinn. “It’s been a great rehearsal #ontheroadtotallinn2025,” commented one skipper. “We’ve seen where the competition is and where we still have work to do.”
Several teams now head to Gotland Runt later this month, while Estonian boats look ahead to Moonsund Regatta in July, another key milestone on their path to the Garmin ORC Worlds.
The next event for the Helsingfors Segelklubb and the Finnish Offshore Racing Association will be the Garmin ORC Double-Handed European Championship. This major ORC event will take place in the same location from July 5 to 12, in cooperation with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC).
The Baltic Offshore Week is the joint Estonian and Finnish ORC National Championship, held every second year in Helsinki and alternating with Tallinn. This year, Finland hosted the event, which was superbly organized by Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK) in collaboration with the Finnish Offshore Racing Association (AMP), Kalevi Yacht Club (KJK) of Estonia and the Estonian Sailing Federation.
Photos of the event on Facebook © Pepe Kortenieimi, © Jussi Nukari, © Kristi Talts
