RORC New beginnings
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In September last year we launched the latest addition to our portfolio of offshore races, we hope also launching a fresh era of offshore racing in the Baltic Sea. Our new 630nm race starting from Helsinki on 21 July heads south down the Gulf of Finland, round Gotland off the eastern coast of Sweden, before then returning up the Baltic passing the coasts of Latvia and Estonia and finishing back in Helsinki. With our local associate, the Ocean Racing Association, we would also like to welcome Roschier as the title sponsor of this new offshore classic. With offices in Helsinki and Stockholm, leading Nordic law firm Roschier has a presence on both sides of the Baltic along with a passionate affinity with promoting maritime culture. At the time of writing we have just under two months to the start
of this new adventure, the current entry boasting 30 teams from at least seven countries: Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Finnish teams obviously provide a strong presence plus notable international entries including two winning skippers from the Caribbean 600: Tilmar Hansen’s Judel-Vrolijk TP52 Outsider and Ireland’s Adrian Lee racing his Swan 60 Overlay Partners. The biggest entry to date is Kenneth Bjørklund’s Norwegian CNB
76 EnderPearl, closely followed by two Volvo 70s from overseas: the Polish National Foundation’s I Love Poland!and HYPRskippered by Spain’s Jens Lindner. The smallest entries include two Finnish yachts: Salla Kaven’s H-323 Silvermoon II and Markku Hentinen’s X-99 Vinca. Classic yachts participating include Tapio Lehtinen’s Swan 55 Galiana and Santtu Parikka’s S&S 40 Pam. The Roschier Baltic Sea Race is also an opportunity to further
develop the global footprint of IRC in the Scandinavian region and boats that finish the race will automatically be qualified for the 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race in August 2023. After a successful Cervantes Trophy and Myth of Malham Race
our next two season championship races come thick and fast with the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race and the Morgan Cup, quickly followed by La Trinité-Cowes, Cowes-Dinard-St Malo, the East Coast Race, Roschier Baltic Sea Race and Channel Race all in July. Then comes August and following the end of Cowes Week we
have the four-yearly Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Presently we’re looking at another record entry – including 19 teams who are taking on this marathon IRC race two-handed. Shorthanded racing with the RORC has been booming in recent
years with 84 teams competing in last year’s Points Championship. The 1,800-mile Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race is a hard task for a full crew, let alone double-handed – witness that since a two-handed division was introduced to this tough course 12 years ago 25 teams have started the race yet only nine have completed the course. Experienced two-handed skippers planning to race in 2022 include
Richard Palmer with his very successful JPK 10.10 Jangada and the highly experienced Nigel de Quervain Colley who will race his well- proven Sun Fast 3300 Fastrak XII. For the 2022 event Rob Craigie & Deb Fish will be racing their familiar Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, which will be among the top picks for the two-handed prize. Between them Rob and Deb have competed in 20 Fastnets and have now been racing together for seven years. But this will be their first two-handed Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland. Dee Caffari MBE and Shirley Robertson OBE will be racing together
on their Sun Fast 3300 RockIT. Shirley’s number one strength is maximising boatspeed while Dee brings with her an exceptional knowledge and confidence around the course… This strong pair will start as outright favourites in the two-handed division. Dee Caffari has sailed around the world six times (so far!) and
was the first woman to sail singlehanded and non-stop around the world in both directions. Dee has an equally impressive record in the Round Britain & Ireland Race, setting the Women’s Monohull Course Record as skipper of her Imoca Aviva in 2009, and then breaking her own record five years later as part of Sam Davies’s crew on VO65 Team SCA. Shirley Robertson of course made history becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal at
Above: what more is there to add? And (top) Lerwick lifeboat crew member Maggie Adamson and co-skipper Sam Cooper start the St Malo race on the Sun Fast 3600 Tigris which they will soon be racing past Adamson’s own home port – it is worth noting that Lerwick is one of the roughest lifeboat stations to be found anywhere in Europe. At 1,805nm the Round Britain is one of the longest races on the calendar and one of the toughest, delivering every sailing test you’d want. A strategist’s dream, or nightmare
SEAHORSE 77
consecutive Games. In the past two years Shirley has accumulated expert knowledge racing the Sun Fast 3300 but this will be her longest outing to date and her first Round Britain & Ireland Race. This will also be Shirley’s first-time racing around her native
Scotland… she admits never having been to Shetland, let alone raced around it. ‘I have this romantic image of the course that we will soon be racing around the beautiful Scottish coastline, but I am sure the reality will be very different! Particularly as everyone keeps telling me just what a super-tough race this can be…’ Gavin Howe’s Sun Fast 3600 Tigris returns having completed the
race in 2018 with Sam Cooper. For 2022 Gavin will race Tigris with 30-year-old Scot Maggie Adamson. This is Maggie’s third season with Tigris, having already raced the Rolex Fastnet and around Italy. Away from racing Maggie is a member of the crew of the Lerwick lifeboat, a Tall Ship skipper… and a champion fiddle player. A unique and demanding race – one that understandably draws all sorts. Jeremy Wilton, CEO
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PAUL WYETH
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