"It was a wonderful race," says "Lightworks" co-skipper Max Gurgel, although his team's hard-earned chance to win the "Line Honours" fell through due to communication problems with the race management. Nevertheless, after a protest and jury hearing, the team made amends in the form of the group win.
Tough going for two class sailors: Michael Höfgen and Max Gurgel dominated the Vegvisir Race 2022 on the longest of the three courses over 238 nautical miles, and not just in their medium group. The duo were on the verge of taking the "Line Honours" overall when they raced towards the finish line with their fast JPK 10.30 with a large lead, even ahead of larger boats such as an X 4.6 or an XP-44. But then the news of a further course shortening did not reach them. The race organisers had decided to do so at short notice due to two to three knots of current in Storebælt in the early morning of the final day. It was only when five of the chasing boats headed straight for the finish line in Nyborg after the red mandatory buoy E25A and the "Lightworks" crew finally received a radio message from the JPK 10.80 "Kaha" that the leaders realised that the course had been shortened.
Max Gurgel: "The 'Line Honours' would have been a sensation"
The race organisers announced the shortened course to the sailing participants early on Saturday morning at 6:15 a.m. on various media channels and via mobile phone messages. However, because the "Lightworks" crew had not looked at their mobile phones in the last one and a half hours until the decisive red buoy in the intense race and fight for the "Line Honours", the call went past them.
Max Gurgel explains: "We pushed really hard. The 'Line Honours' would have been a sensation. We had our opponents well under control. But at the end of this wonderful race, we pushed really hard. You don't look at mobile phones." It remains unclear why the radio calls from other yachts in the direction of "Lightworks" requested by the race organisers did not materialise for too long. "We were on radio channel 16, as you do," says Gurgel, "maybe the others were on channel 72? But they could have sent a motorboat to the buoy. Or someone on the bridge who could have announced the course shortening from there by radio." In fact, the race organisers had asked the participants to pass on the information on channel 72. The "Lightworks" crew were surprised at the finish: "Then it's clear why it went like that."
"The Vegvisir Race is a great, navigationally and strategically demanding race"
When the radio call from the larger JPK sister "Kaha" finally reached Höfgen and Gurgel via channel 16, it was already too late and the "Line Honours" was lost after a considerable extra beat on the originally planned course. The later jury hearing at least resulted in compensation for "Lightworks", which was deservedly crowned group winner in the 2Star Medium division on the longest course of 238 nautical miles. Michael Höfgen and Max Gurgel finished their outstanding race with one crying and one laughing eye. "The race itself was great fun," says co-skipper Gurgel, "the starting signal was given for us on Thursday afternoon. We finished on Saturday morning. Everything was there. We had six knots of wind at the start - a great start. The wind died completely on the way to Svendborg. We partially anchored in Svendborgsund. Michi then did a very patient and cool job at the helm. We managed to slalom our way round the boats in Svendbordsund."
Later, some teams enjoyed 20 knots of wind in Fehmarnsund, which freshened up even further for the leading boats after the Fehmarnsund Bridge. "On the downwind leg from Fehmarn to Marstal on the southern tip of the Danish island of Æro, we sometimes had 16 knots of speed in 25 knots of wind," Gurgel recalls fondly. His conclusion despite the lost "Line Honours": "The Vegvisir Race is a great, navigationally and strategically demanding race."
A race for everyone: The German boats took a dozen victories in 25 divisions
German sailors were able to enjoy a dozen victories in the 25 divisions in total, in which some boats were unrivalled and others were able to leave larger fleets behind. For example, Markus Schöner and Niklas Ganssauge with their 30 dinghy cruiser "Kleine Brise" in the 2Star Small group over the 158 nautical mile medium distance. Or Timo Maske and Frank Gerald, who sailed their mini "Herr Nilsson" to victory over the short 70 nautical mile distance. Dirk Frischmuth and Paul Greiner prevailed with the J/88 "Jojo" in the 2Star Small group. Serial winner Patrik Heinrichs lifted the trophy on his T 24 by Wiberg "Jynx" over 70 nautical miles in the Mini single-handed division. Uwe Barthel and Sverre Reinke were the fastest in the 2Star Small group over 238 nautical miles. Click here for the results in all 25 (!) divisions.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
