Silverrudder 2022: Windy start to the biggest solo race in the world

Only around 320 of the 450 registered single-handed sailors will start. The first groups are already crossing the line off Svendborg. And there are more women than ever before, even if the percentage is still negligible. Originally, 16 female skippers wanted to take part, including experienced ocean sailors such as Sanni Beucke, Lena Weißkichel and Lina Rixgens. But something always happens.

Sanni Beucke is focussing on her Figaro campaign, Lena Weißkichel has just returned from the Olympic qualifiers in Canada. Lina Rixgens was injured during preparations for the transfer and had to cancel her participation one day before the start. Some other skippers were also unlucky. In the end, seven women are starting today. Among them is Marlene Brudek from Wilhelmshaven, whose First 27 "Heartbeat" has become an integral part of almost every challenging race. She has only just moved here from the Vegvisir Race.

At the skippers' briefing last night, Philip Cossen promised: "If there are 50 women at the start one day, there will be an extra party!"

The Silverrudder promises great sport this year, and not just because of the initially windy weather. A number of exciting boats are taking part for the first time, all in the hands of expert skippers.

Things will be particularly hot in the Small to 30-foot class, one of the largest with 88 entries. Not only the Dehler 30 od, specially designed for the Silverrudder "formula", but also the Aeolos P30, an uncompromising carbon fibre racer developed by former Silverrudder winner Hans Genthe in Dubai, will be at the start. It will be skippered by the Dane Jan Hansen, who is one of the veterans and top favourites.

However, he only launched his boat on Tuesday of this week in Thuro. Hans Genthe tested the racing machine he designed together with Hansen off Funen and only made a few minor adjustments. He himself is only a spectator this year. "It is even more agile and weighs only half as much as the Figaro he has been racing with in recent years, which is a big difference, also in terms of movement. Here and there I might not be able to react quite as quickly on the new boat and will have to look first. But I expect to win the race," says Hansen, who has already notched up numerous victories since switching from the North Sails dealer to early retirement.

Jan von der Bank has also entered for the first time with his home-made "Remy". He has no ambitions for the top places, he wants to arrive safely and without breaking. He has never sailed his "violin case", which has been in the water since May, in winds of more than 20 knots. "'Remy' starts easily and behaves very dinghy-like. If 30 or 40 knots of wind are blowing on my nose out there on the corner, I don't take any risks, if necessary I'll abort," says the man from Eutin. He starts in the Medium group.

Wolfram Heibeck, who won two classes with his "Black Maggy", is not taking part this year. "I really regret that right now," he said on the phone this morning.

But there is another hot candidate in the Large class: Brit Phil Sharp, former Class 40 champion and preparing to take part in the Vendée Globe 2024, will be competing with the build number 1 of the new First 36 - the boat that YACHT has already tested several times and that shone in the performance cruiser comparison. If he can cope with the treacherous course due to its strong currents in the hours and the many shallows, Phil Sharp can be trusted to do anything.

All the more reason to follow the race on the tracker - the best way to do this is via TracTrac or via the organiser page on Facebook.

This might also interest you:

• Already sailed: first impressions of Beneteau's First 36
• High on adrenalin and feelings of happiness: Test of the First 36
• Jan von der Banks " Remy " : Visit to the almost finished boat