Silverrudder: Swallowed up by the doldrums: Not even ten per cent made it through

There are regattas that stay in the memory forever. The Silverrudder 2020 will be one of them for many. Heavily tested by merciless doldrums, current and, in the end, sometimes frightening patches of fog, the majority of the field was unable to finish the single-handed race around Funen in the time limit. Of the 312 boats that started in the five keelboat categories Mini, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large as well as in the large and small multihull classifications, only 29 reached the finish line on time. That is less than ten per cent.

This did nothing to dampen the passion of the participants for the world's largest solo race, which, with its team of around 100 volunteers, successfully bucked the tide of regatta cancellations in the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Even Dehler 30-od pilot Max Gurgel was enthusiastic after his premiere and said: "I'm fully infected and will be back next year." In view of Gurgel's sporting and emotional rollercoaster ride, this is one of the many small miracles that the Silverrudder produces every year. Gurgel's story is representative of the countless events and experiences that took place on the extraordinary 130 nautical miles around Funen in 2020.

The Hamburg native had to enter the water an incredible three times and act as "MacGyver". Immediately after the start, his "Hornfish" was pushed onto a shallow in total calm. While other starters with a similar fate were towed free by helpers and had to abandon the race, Gurgel lifted the boat out of the water from the sand himself. It took at least ten desperate attempts, "because I got into the boat too slowly each time and was pushed up again straight away. It was awful, but I had been looking forward to this race so much. It just wasn't supposed to be over yet," he recalls.

Gurgel took his second involuntary dip when he ran aground again under the first large motorway bridge in the Little Belt in the early hours of Saturday morning. His first thought: "This can't be happening!" The second: "No, this can't be the end." At the time, as the third Dehler 30 od behind Morten Bogacki ("Humboldt") and Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt ("PowerPlay"), who were engaged in a nice top duel, Gurgel had kept to the far right under Code Zero, because there was even half a knot of current pointing in the right direction. He was aware that being close to land harboured "a certain risk". However, Gurgel assumed that he would be able to react quickly enough if the echo soundings indicated this. However, he was unable to do so and got stuck again. And without power. Gurgel jumped into the water again. In the meantime, Dehler 30-od helmsman Andreas Deubel ("Calle Dr Antonio Jorge Aguiar") also passed him. A boat from the race organisation offered help, but Gurgel was determined to make it himself and sail on. A gust and the Code Zero standing behind him finally helped, but he only made 200 metres before he - like so many others - had to drop anchor again. This is where the anchor cluster under the second bridge, clearly visible in the live tracker like a colourful pile of confetti, was created.

After continuing later, Gurgel was able to overtake Schmidt-Rybandt, who passed under the second bridge no fewer than nine times - five forwards, four backwards - and stay ahead of him for the time being. The final knockout blow for the indefatigable Max Gurgel came at Bagö when he sailed into a fishing net as the leader of his group. Although the prisoner was able to warn Schmidt-Rybandt by shouting loudly, his own fate was sealed. While the following boats sailed a long way round the Dehler 30 od, which was floundering in the net, it was Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt who lowered his sails, started the engine and rushed to Gurgel's aid. "I spent about an hour doing that," recalled Schmidt-Rybandt, whose comradely help jeopardised his own chance of winning the class. "Arno Kronenberg slipped through during this action," he said later. Seven-time Atlantic crosser Arno Kronberg sailed the race with concentration and brought his "PlayHarder" to the finish line as the best Dehler 30 od in third place in the Small category. Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt was the penultimate Small boat to finish in ninth place despite everything. Silverruddder veteran Frank Schollmeyer won the Small category for the third time with his small and, especially in the narrow passages, pleasantly manoeuvrable Esse 850, ahead of Georgiy Juhasz with his Flaar 26 "Kolibri".

In the mini field, only four boats reached the finish line in the time limit: Patrick Heinrich's T24 by T. Wilberg "Jynx" finished the race after 44 hours, 13 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of Klaus Rønn Madsen's CB 66 racer "CaBoom" and Jørgen Mohr's Spaekhugger "Olivia". In the medium boats, top favourite Per Svanberg from Sweden dominated the field with his self-modified, light and very fast Fareast "Kuai". Second and third place went to Tomasz Odzioba with the Caravela 950 "Black Caravela" and Thomas Nielsen with his X-99 "Maxx". In the Large category, Göran Artmann on the X-382 "Xusidus" was the fastest to cross the finish line after 43 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds. Hans-Wolfgang Wiese's Sigma 36 "Burrasca" and Jørn Grønlund's X-119 "Carmen" followed. Stig Wittrup's First 40 "My Way" found the fastest way through the doldrums to the finish in the Extra Large division, ahead of Axel Grawe's X-442 "Mopion" and Lars Christensen's X-412 "Wuchtbrumme". The winners of the multihulls were Lars Kämpfe with the Dragonfly 800 "Tri" in the small group and, as expected, the trimaran "Black Malin" of lucky local hero Jan Andersen in the large group.

Philip Cossen, an important driving force behind the Silverrudder alongside event director Ole Ingemann Nielsen, not only accompanied the 2020 edition intensively as a helper and roving reporter. He also hosted the final award ceremony on Sunday in Svendborg and said: "We didn't have much wind, but fog and fantastic sunny weather." Cossen compared this year's doldrums edition with the 2018 storm edition, described the current race as an immense challenge and expressed great appreciation to all participants - whether they finished or not.

Here to see the results.

Note: We report inYACHT 22 We tell you in detail about this very special race around Funen, its winners and introduce the men and women who have shaped it.