It's that time again: the annual Silverrudder has started single-handed in seven classes around Funen. With 379 starters from five to almost 20 metre boats, the start was marked by the usual hustle and bustle and tight manoeuvres in Svendborgsund. In the meantime, the first sailors are already heading for Æbelø and are now sailing towards the night.
Five of last year's seven winners will also be taking part again, so the competition is correspondingly high despite the relaxed atmosphere among the participants. However, as in the previous year, new records are unlikely. These have been raised again in all seven classes in time for the tenth anniversary in 2021 and will be hard to beat in the predicted conditions.
Possible flaut battle in the final?
At yesterday's briefing for the participants, weather expert Sebastian Wache predicted winds of up to 13 knots from a south-easterly direction for the start, which proved to be the case today. After the staggered starts, they will first sail into the Great Belt with aft winds. Wache predicted friendly weather with plenty of sunshine and little cloud cover. During the night from Friday to Saturday, the wind could then freshen up to around 20 knots.
However, the leaders, especially the multihulls, could then have to contend with weak and shifty winds in the Little Belt and on the home stretch. But the forecast also presents challenges for all other participants and especially for latecomers. According to the watch, a new wind system will significantly reduce the strength and consistency of the wind from Saturday evening. This could also result in fog during the very dark night due to the new moon. Although the organisers expect the first sailors to cross the finish line early on Saturday morning, the time limit of 12 noon on Sunday will still be difficult for some to reach.
Cancellations prevent exciting duel in the 30-foot class
At last year's eleventh edition, only 242 of the 450 registered participants made it to the finish line. A windy start was followed by equally challenging light winds. While the first to reach Svendborg took just over 15 hours, the last to cross the finish line took 45 hours, 9 minutes and 18 seconds. In addition to the weather conditions, this also reflects the spirit of the event. The annual "Challenge of the Sea" brings together many exciting sailing careers and attracts experienced warhorses, adventure-hungry novices and passionate solo regatta sailors, returners and first-time participants alike.
This year, all eyes are likely to be on the "Small" class with yachts under 30 feet in length. Not only will the official European Championship of the First-27-SE/Seascape27 class be held here, but the exciting duel between Dehler 30 od and Aeolos P30 should also provide plenty of excitement. Last year, the all-German podium was occupied exclusively by the fast Dehler One Design, led by Max Gurgel, who is once again one of the favourites this year. The Aeolos P30 "Beast", with Jan Hansen at the helm, finished in fifth place at its Silverrudder premiere, but was plagued by electronics problems. Now the record holder in the Medium class was hit even harder. Like the second Aeolos P30 "Forty Two" skippered by Joachim Hasle, Hansen ran aground in the post-start phase. This means that none of the promising Aeolos racers are still in the race and the possible duel with the four Dehler 30 ods is therefore no longer possible. Although shipyard owner and brand manager Hans Genthe had also entered a third Aeolos, he was unable to make the journey due to scheduling reasons.
More exciting designs at this year's Silverrudder:
The smallest with the most nautical miles in their wake, multihulls are catching up
Three other participants had to give up due to grounding or other technical problems. Among them was Michael Hoefgen's JPK 10.30 "Lightworks". Meanwhile, the leaders of the Mini class, which started first, have already left the Great Belt. First and foremost the Melges 24 "Frey" of Mattis Franken. In the 30-foot class, Patrick Heinrichs is currently in the lead on his Esse 8.50 "Jynx too", while the next largest class is led by Poland's Tomasz Odzioba (Caravela 950 "Black Caravela").
In the large keelboat class, the main field is currently passing under the Storebælt Bridge, while the slightly distant leaders are in a tight race. The Open 40 "Black Maggy" with skipper Wolfram Heibeck is behind Sven Kurka's Bondi 36 one off "Bondi". Two Danish Landmark 43s lead the field of the largest yachts: Karl Otto Bock ("White Shadow") ahead of Martin Meredin ("Esbern Snare"). The two yachts have already been overtaken by Anders Bastiansen (Diam 24 "Tri-ne"), the leader of the small multihulls that started 30 minutes later. In the large multihulls, Jan Andersen and his Marlin 33 "Black Marlin" are currently four nautical miles in the lead and are the only ones to have already passed the Storebælt Bridge. This means that German solo sailors are on course to win the Silverrudder in four of the seven classes after the first few hours.
Participants from 15 nations at this year's Silverrudder
The event quickly became very popular after its premiere. At the first regatta in 2012, 15 boats registered, and the following year 100 skippers had already confirmed their participation. Just one year later, there were 200 registered sailors. In the meantime, the participant limit has levelled off at 450 - places are highly competitive and usually sold out within a few hours. This makes the Silverudder the largest single-handed regatta in the world in terms of the number of participants. A total of 15 nations are represented at this year's edition. The Silverrudder enjoys cult status among German sailors - over 250 of the registered sailors come from Germany.
