After taking part to the “real” post-covid version, Robline Skagen Race climbed to one of our favourite races. (Race report from last year here)
Why?
It’s one of the few races in open waters on the West side of Sweden. Albeit not being especially interesting from a strategic point of view… with only one leg to Danmark on the first race and one leg back on the second race.
Being part of Fjällman Shorthanded Cup series, its double-handed class has grown considerably.
With waterfront bars, restaurants and relaxed atmosphere, the regatta is both an event and a mini vacation in late summer. And Skagen is just the natural place.
Race 1
On Friday we raced to Skagen. Forecasted south-easterly winds, veering to the South and decreasing later in the afternoon. Westerly current just South of the rumbline and strong northerly approaching Skagen.
Our strategy was to play safe. Just South of the rumbline to avoid most of the current on the nose at arrival, but not too South to avoid a deep angle when the wind veered and weakened.
We crpssed the start on a reach and turned to a downwind leg almost immediately. As one of the smallest boats, we intentionally positioned ourselves behind the fleet, sailed in clean air and stayed with the faster fleet until out of the archipelago, making our lower rating work for us. It worked… and we could indeed keep up with the much faster X-332s, First 35s and Salonas.
Once in open water and on our course, it was just propaganda sailing. 12 to 15kts wind at 135TWA surfing and planing at each wave or gust. We crossed the finish line at 10.5kts just over 5 hours later. And scored a 2nd place with 15 minutes margin to the next boat (Ping, Archambault 31).
AWESOME!
Race 2
The race back was trickier.
Firstly let me tell you about the start line. It was so skewed that we didn’t know which way we should cross it. From the look of the other boats just a few minutes before the start, they looked as confused as we were.
Anyway… we expected a long beating in medium air, weakening and finally dying out all together to then pick up again from the North-West. The course was shortened to Stora Oset to ensure all boats would cross the finish line.
Out on the water, the wind was somewhere around 15kts and the seas were choppy. Our worst nightmare against larger, heavier boats. We did our best and sailed well, although with hindsight perhaps too close to the wind. With the strong current pushing us North and the blowing southeasterly winds, our strategy was to sail the shortest distance, in spite of the loss of speed.
About 5nm from the Swedish coast somebody turned off the wind. We were farther from the finish than most yachts. But the J/80, being the light air machine that it is, just kept on gliding at 3kts. We caught up with many in the fleet and decreased considerably the gap.
In the super light air that followed, while many competitors struggled to keep their booms from slogging over the cockpit, we could carry our lightest asymmetric up to 50 deg AWA and generated enough pressure to keep moving at over 4kts. Who needs a code!
After 7h 18m we crossed the finish line and arrived in 4th place. An ok result.
In the end we landed a 2nd place for the regatta in the doublehanded class. Very satisfied with the result. The winner, Ventus, a Melges 32 MOD won both races by an unreal margin: 30 minutes faster at the 1st race and 45 minutes faster at the second race… on corrected time. Not sure how we are ever going to beat them 🙂
The price giving will take place at John Scott’s pub in Gothenburg in October. Many thanks to the arranging club and people for a fantastic event!
Results Doublehanded
Results Full Crew
