Baltic 500: After the Ancora Yacht Festival is before the Baltic 500 and Globe40 for Burke and Fink

The seventh edition of the German double-handed classic Baltic 500 starts this week. 50 boats are registered for the 500 nautical mile race in German and Danish waters. The starting signal will be given on 29 May in the Kiel area in front of the Bülk lighthouse. And the chances are good that this edition will finally be able to live up to its name once again.

Baltic 500: over the full distance?

"I had already considered whether we should rename the race the Baltic 350, but things are looking good for this year. At least the current weather forecasts suggest a race over the full distance," says Cord Hall, who expects the majority of participants to be back at the finish line and at the host Yacht Club Strande after the Thursday start on Sunday.

Alongside Rasmus Töpsch, Cord Hall is one of the two founding fathers of the double-handed test, which starts in Germany's best-known regatta area. In 2019, they had delighted the local shorthanded offshore scene with their idea. Since then, the Baltic 500 has marked the start of the season for regatta duos in the Baltic Sea every year. This year, several boats are in with a chance of line honours. One of them is the Class40 of Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink.

Without a measurement certificate, which could no longer be produced due to a lack of time, but with the potential to be "First Ship Home", the Class40 will start the race with the double-handed team Next Generation Sailing. But Melwin Fink is not the only one who knows: "There are several teams with a chance of line honours and it will also depend on the conditions. It will definitely be exciting, because there are many strong boats and very good sailors at the start." Click here for the Entry list for the Baltic 500 at Manage2Sail.

Next Generation Boating: Race support and gin stand

Sebastian Ropohl and David Rowen on the older Class40 "Cantaloop" compared to Burke and Fink's boat, the Judel Vrolijk 43 "Vineta" with Wolf Scherer-Bieschin and Arnt Bruhns and two fifties: the X-50 "Bajazzo" with Johannes Zoller and Jannis Grube or the XP-50 "Phoenix" with Thomas and Paul Wenzel. The JPK 11.80 "Frida" and other potent duos should also not be underestimated.

With four boats, the Dehler field with its own start is small but mighty. Among other things, it raises the question of whether a team can tame the "power players" Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt and Bjarne Lorenzen. There are four JPK 10.30 boats in the race and they are always good for a strong ORC placing.

Melwin Fink said three days before the start about his team's goals: "We want to test the boat, complete lists and be present in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic 500 is the best event for this. Our yacht yard Next Generation Boating is also supporting the event. We provide race support with a service bus and have a gin stand at the award ceremony." If you fancy a drink after the race, you can get it directly from Fink and Burke, who will be behind the bar themselves.

Next Generation Sailing on the water, Next Generation Boating on land

A fast race can't hurt the Next Generation Sailing team either. The prospective circumnavigators, who will start the prologue to the Globe40 around the world off Lorient on 31 August, already decided on the Baltic 500 commitment last year. "Like everything in our jobs, we want to do this commitment well on the water and on land," says 23-year-old sailing professional and shipyard founder Fink.

Time management is hardcore right now." Melwin Fink

Like his 26-year-old sailing and business partner Lennart Burke, Melwin Fink is also realising in these weeks and months what it means when there are less than 100 days left until the starting shot is fired for the premiere of a circumnavigation. The positive response to the new XXL regatta plans and the team's participation in Globe40 comes at just the right time.

Melwin Fink reports: "We had exciting companies on board at the Ancora Yacht Festival and very good discussions. In any case, we already have enough funds together to be able to carry out the refit of the boat according to our wishes and continue to pursue our schedule." Next stop in the busy schedule: the Baltic 500.