The first starting shot is fired today: the ORCi European Championship begins in the Norwegian waters of Hankø. Six German boats are competing in two of the three classes. One of the favourites in Class A is Michael Berghorn's Mills 45 Custom "Semi-dry 4.5". Also flying the German flag in the largest division are the TP 52 "Imagine", the GP 42 "X-Day" and the 15-year-old Swan 45 "Katima". One of the top boats in the middle Group B is Jens Kuphal's modified Landmark 43 "Intermezzo". Alongside her, the crew on the German XP 44 "Surprise" will be fighting for a top place. There are no German boats competing in the smallest Group C, which has 28 participants.
The 55 European Championship boats from seven nations completed their first training rounds at the weekend. Michael Berghorn's "Halbtrocken 4.5" was already looking really good, leading the race in its division in the best conditions with winds of 14 to 16 knots. The Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (KNS) and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) jointly organised the European Summit in the beautiful Oslofjord. Seven inshore and two offshore races will characterise the ORCi European Championship over six days. The award ceremony is scheduled for the evening of 13 August.
Tim Kröger: "You can quickly get a flat tyre here"
"The area is really pretty, but also very demanding," said Tim Kröger from the "Katima", "we can expect some navigational challenges with the islands, ferries and stones, some of which are 80 centimetres below the surface of the water. You can easily get a flat tyre here." The ORCi European Championship kicks off with a medium-distance course along the south coast of Norway, which includes several longer sections with different wind angles. A 173.4 nautical mile course awaits the small but select field of six large A boats. The B group has 165.3 nautical miles to complete. The C boats are challenged with 144 nautical miles.
This single scored coastal race is very important because it cannot be cancelled. Initially, light and shifty winds were forecast. Later, a somewhat more stable south-westerly breeze was expected to build up. "We believe that the current will play a big role in this opening race," said "Team Pro4U" tactician Peter Thorwid, "we come from the other side in Sweden, where there is almost no current in the Baltic Sea, so we sail more in such conditions. Looking at the light wind forecast, we believe that the current will be a big factor. The European Championship races can be followed here via TracTrac.
The boats are expected back in Hankø between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. ORC Chairman Bruno Finzi commented on the start of the European Championship: "Norway is one of the most important countries for us. There are almost 1,000 boats with ORC certificates here - that's almost a tenth of the more than 10,000 we have issued worldwide. We are really happy with this beautiful venue and the outstanding efforts of the KNS in organising an unforgettable event for everyone involved."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
