Update
as some in the sport will suggest – the reverse – it is giving more opportunity to the best female sailors to compete on equal terms,’ said race CEO Mark Turner.
‘Sailing is one of the few sports where you can actually have mixed teams, and we want to take advantage of that. The Team SCA project in the last race did a great job to restart female par- ticipation, after 12 years with just one sailor getting a slot. We’re determined to build on that, and we want to guarantee we have the very best sailors competing in the race – now both male and female.’ The new rules limit all-male teams to seven, one fewer than in 2014-15, and give mixed teams a significant numerical advantage. Possible crew combinations are: 7 men; 7 men plus 1 or 2 women; 7 women plus 1 or 2 men; 5 men and 5 women; 11 women. Teams will also be able to change combinations from leg to leg. Ian Walker, 2014-15 race winner, commented: ‘If female offshore sailors ever want to compete at the same level as the best in the world then they need to train and race with the best. It would be very hard to compete with only seven people on a VO65 against teams of eight or nine, regardless of gender. This change will almost certainly force teams to hire women and that will create a great platform going forward.’
The move was informed by the performance of Team SCA’s 2014- 15 campaign, which saw the all-female crew finish third in the In-Port series and become the first to win an offshore leg in 25 years – but still with a ceiling on their offshore performance overall. The chance to learn with the best of the best this time could well see that situation change… perhaps even change dramatically.
SILVER SECRET – Jochen Riekers
In September in the south of Denmark a 134nm round-the-island- race happened to become the biggest offshore singlehanded event in the world when 418 solo skippers came to the startline. This is all wrong. It should have taken place somewhere else. In western France, of course. South Brittany or the Vendée region would have been a natural choice, where solo sailing is considered an art form not a quirk of human behaviour. Yet the biggest following for singlehanded racing is, in fact, far north of Biscay in the waters of Svendborg, a picturesque Danish town of 25,000 inhabitants. Started just four years ago, the Silverrudder Challenge of the Sea has seen growth more like an internet start-up than a yacht race. It began with the ‘famous 15’ who took part in 2012, of which 12 made it to the finish. Back then it was really just a ‘spleen’, a bit of fun for the locals. Things changed quickly, then exploded. In 2013 registrations grew to 85 boats, many from abroad, mostly Germany. 2014 saw the list close at a bit over 200, then seen as the sensible limit for an unassisted solo race in the Nordic autumn. One year later more than 300 wanted in. Gale force winds on race day reduced starters to 244 and resulted in dozens of retirements. But it did not stop the story. Now the maximum capacity
of Svendborg city marina – around 430 boats – is the only limit. With 420 registrations from 11 countries for this year’s Silverrudder that number will soon be reached.
How does it work? What is the formula? And how could the Danes come up with such an obviously successful event? Morten Brandt-Rasmussen, the man behind it all, isn’t shy of an answer. ‘We just did away with all the hassle and complexity of ordinary yacht racing,’ says the Silverrudder inventor. So he ignored measurement and ignored the racing rules. You can take on the challenge in any boat of 18ft or above – from pocket cruiser to Mini 6.50 racer, from SunFast 3200 to Class40, an in-mast furling Bavaria 37 to an ORC-optimised XP44, from the latest Corsair Pulse 600 to a full carbon race trimaran. And if it’s a wooden Folkboat you own, an antique Skerrycruiser or an IOR Two-Tonner from the 1970s, you’re also most welcome! ‘We wanted to create the nautical equivalent of a city marathon,’ says Brandt-Rasmussen. ‘Hard enough that you have to use all your resources but also accessible to pretty much everyone.’ Boats are timed and ranked in seven classes according to their length. While this may seem far too rough a measure it does not appear to put anybody off. Not even those used to competing seriously under IRC, ORC or in box rule and one-design classes. Simplicity is king on the water as well. Participants don’t need to adhere to the racing rules. The Silverrudder is governed by the international regulations for collision prevention only. And of course there are no course marks. The regatta runs around Funen, Denmark’s third-largest island spanning an area of almost 1,200 square miles. You can plot your course as you wish – stay close to shore or take advantage of the current in deeper waters. This may sound all too relaxed, too easy. The race is not, though. While 134nm may seem short for a singlehanded distance race, the changing conditions constantly challenge you… and if you are not careful there is also a lot to hit. Starting slowly in a narrow, shallow, zigzagging channel with strong currents, the course opens up quickly, anti-clockwise this year, previously the other way… This year a fast 20nm reach was followed by a windy beat that was tough on the smaller boats. Nightfall made it more challenging as constant tacking in confused seas was required among the hundreds of boats.
A few hours later and the leaders were back in another winding sound in light, fickle winds, with tall forests surrounding the narrow fairway. ‘One moment your bow is slamming, your rig is shaking,’ said a Mini 6.50 entry, ‘the next moment you are sailing along calmly, enthralled by the nature all around you and in the company of 50 or 60 of your competitors… It is rather extraordinary.’ Then, as the sun was rising and the wind filled in again, this year’s fleet sped southeast through the ‘Danish South Pacific’ – an area of numerous small islands and beautiful anchorages. For the fastest soloists the hard part was the finish. While they had been able to sneak through the calms of the narrows during the night, they now found themselves becalmed in sight of the line. Eventually they had to anchor in order not to be pushed backwards by the strong currents. And, of course, when the wind finally arrived so did their opponents. Record holder Wolfram Heibeck on his Open 32 Black Maggy and Class40 skipper Mathias Müller von Blumencron, a seasoned offshore sailor, both lost commanding class leads. Yet there was little regret. Von Blumencron, sailing his first Silverrudder, vowed to be back next year, calling it ‘one of the strangest, funniest and coolest races ever’.
Folkboats to carbon trimarans… whatever you bring to the Silverrudder you’ll be racing in a division based purely upon overall length. That and the use of collision regs in place of the rules of sailing make for an appealing package. Obviously!
10 SEAHORSE
While most play in the Silverrudder for fun, it draws an eclectic dozen or so who mean it – and who have both the boats and the skill to be first in their class. You see former Olympic sailors on the line like Helle Jespersen of Denmark or big boat world champions of old like Karl Dehler – who was racing his Dehler 38 for the second time. Also yards, sailmakers and equipment suppliers recognise the value of the race. Mini Transat pro and Seascape CEO Andraz Mihelin has made the Silverrudder part of his brand’s signature series, supporting owners with coaching before and afterwards. To win is no easy feat any more, nor to beat any of the current
MARTIN KENDLER
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