It's amazing: despite the hurricane two years ago, when 16 out of 21 participants gave up, the appeal of this long-distance race seems unbroken. As many as 36 yachts were registered for the 2015 edition. In view of the experience two years ago, when some participants struggled to survive, North Sea Week organiser Marcus Böhlich felt compelled to tighten safety regulations. This year, for the first time, the Edinburgh Regatta will be sailed in accordance with the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations for Category 2 races. This also includes the obligation to have an active AIS on board. However, such measures do not meet with the undivided approval of all participants, as they mean additional costs and effort.
But Böhlich is not deterred and explains the reasons in a lengthy commentary addressed to the participants:
"I believe you can all cross the North Sea without certificates, especially for sailors who have done it before, it all seems a bit ridiculous. Unfortunately, our outside world is not so simple. The team of volunteer organisers enjoy organising the North Sea Week, but don't want to stand in front of a court one day and be asked: Why did you let him sail with you, he's not even qualified? There have already been cases like this where a race committee has been held jointly responsible for the accident or even death of a participant because participants without sufficient qualifications were allowed to take part in a race. I would like to protect our race officer from this!
This includes making sure that the necessary number of ISAF safety-at-sea certificates, proof of an ISAF medical course and a licence appropriate to the sailing area (BK or SSS) must be presented. Random checks of safety equipment are also carried out on Heligoland. Finally, all participants will sail through a control gate with storm sails set, where this year we will also check the presence of an active AIS.
All of this has been known since the announcement was published in January 2015 and our experience from 2013 justifies all of this. As a race organiser, it is simply a good feeling to know that there are boats and people sailing the long distance who can also deal with bad and very bad weather. Just ask sailors who have already taken part in Cowes or Gotland, where the demands are even higher! If you're still not convinced, just switch sides and organise a regatta yourself. A lot of things look different from that perspective. Have fun and be safe during the long distance of the North Sea Week, which has gone off without any fatalities in recent years."
For the rest of the North Sea Week, however, only the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations for Category 3 races must be observed, and for Race 1 Wedel-Cuxhaven only Category 4.
With a total of 143 entries, the North Sea Week is still the number one event for German sea sailors, according to the organisers. However, the figures are down on the previous year. The reason given is that the number of entries in the years of the Edinburgh Regatta is always lower than in the years with the Pantaenius Round Skagen Regatta. The long-distance races of the North Sea Week are started on Whit Monday at the end of the North Sea Week, alternating every two years between Kiel and Edinburgh; and the yachts on the Baltic Sea like to use the Round Skagen Regatta as a return trip.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
