88th North Sea Week: The red rock is calling - North Sea classic started

The start of the 88th North Sea Week has already been completed. On Friday morning, the first race took its participants from Wedel to Cuxhaven on course for Helgoland. In its 101st year, the sailing series showed its varied side. With a mix of sun and clouds, the race went down the Elbe in crisp winds of 25 to 28 knots. Unlike the Ocean Race fleet in the North Atlantic, however, the North Sea Week crews had to cross.

Crisp winds spur on the first race

"After several years of testing its participants with doldrums and engines, the race went very quickly this time," reported race director Albert Schweizer. The starting signal was given at 7.30 a.m. and Daniel Baum's Tison 48 "Elida" was the first boat to cross the finish line at midday. After the official opening of the North Sea Week at 7 p.m. in Cuxhaven, Albert Schweizer and other team members will make their way to Helgoland in the evening parallel to the Sundowner Regatta, arriving there around midnight. The post race is part of the Glück-Early-Bird-Series.

The biggest innovation in the programme of the traditional regatta series this year is the new long-distance race. The Helgoland Offshore Triangle - HOT for short - replaces the Helgoland-Edinburgh Regatta, which was previously held every two years, alternating with Pantaenius Rund Skagen. "Unlike the Edinburgh Race, the HOT does not end in the dead end in Scotland, which makes it much easier for crews to take part," says race director Schweizer. The start and finish line of the offshore long-distance race are off Heligoland.

The new long-haul route: "HOT" between Helgoland, Sylt and Borkum

The experienced sporting director of the North Sea Week has developed several possible courses, which will be chosen depending on wind direction and weather conditions. The total length of the long distance, which counts as a qualifying regatta for participation in the Fastnet Race, is between 260 and 350 nautical miles. Fixed sea marks serve as course markers, which must be rounded.

All possible courses have one thing in common: they lead across the open North Sea. The possible regatta area extends roughly between Borkum and Sylt, with Helgoland in the centre. "There is a lot of interest from sailors in the HOT, but we assume that it will take some time before we reach the same high number of entries as the Edinburgh Race. But that's quite normal," says Albert Schweizer ahead of the hot premiere.

With sporting greetings from Denmark ...

The organisers of the North Sea Week, above all organisation manager Marcus Boehlich, are delighted that the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet) has announced that it will once again be involved in the North Sea Week. The partnership with the Home Defence Force, a branch of the Danish Armed Forces, has a long tradition. Since 2011, the Danes have been sending the 25-metre coastal defence ship "Lyø" to the North Sea Week, where the support is gratefully received. Only the Corona years had prevented the Danes from visiting Heligoland. The extremely seaworthy "Lyø" acts as a starting ship in the Cuxhaven-Helgoland feeder regatta (W2) and is also used as a starting ship on Helgoland.

Also exciting for interested Heligoland guests - click here to go to the North Sea Week homepage with all the information about the races and the shore programme.