The Baltic 500 has long since developed into a popular magnet for the German offshore scene. Increasingly, international starters are also setting their sights on the 500 nautical mile two-handed race from and to Strande. Boats from Denmark, Sweden and a Norwegian crew are taking part. Once upon a time the Austrian Globe40 skipper Lisa Berger started her offshore career in the north of Germany.
Baltic 500: Cole Brauer is there
This year, the American Cole Brauer is the female star of the race, which Cord Hall and Rasmus Töpsch devised with the team from the Yacht Club Strande and made a success of. Boris Herrmann came up with the idea of using Cole Brauer in conversation with his friend Mathias Müller von Blumencron. Because his own schedule in the hot final construction phase of "Malizia 4" did not permit the Baltic 500 start, Herrmann suggested his co-skipper as a fellow competitor.
"We had been talking about the race for a while, but Boris just couldn't make it work in terms of scheduling. At some point he said 'Hey, just sail with Cole'." The initial spark was followed by a conversation with the 31-year-old and her commitment to the Baltic race. "The idea of the Baltic 500 is such a great one. Then the commitment of Cord and Rasmus, the way they do it. It will be an honour for me to compete in the race with Cole," said Mathias Müller von Blumencron.
With his J/V 43 "Red 2", the skipper and Cole Brauer could also attack the course record if the wind conditions are right. The record has been held since 2025 Lennart Burke and Melwin Finkwhich will celebrate the start of the new year with a welcome party in Hamburg harbour this weekend. Final act of their Globe40 adventure celebrated. With their Class40, Burke and Fink had set the course a year ago. galloped off in 2 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes and 56 seconds.
Full house: more than 100 challengers in the Baltic 500
This year, "Red 2" is now one of the big guns in the field. The race itself has changed a lot since its Premiere 2019 not loudly, but persistently developed into a popular offshore classic for double-handed crews. 106 sailors and their 53 boats on the start list testify to the popularity of this demanding competition. This is three more than the original limit of participants. The Baltic Sea Marathon is heading for a new record turnout.
Even at first glance at the entry list, it is clear how much experience, passion and skill are gathered for this challenge over Ascension Day. The organisers announced: "Tim Kröger, one of the most influential personalities in German ocean sailing, will be at the start." The two-time circumnavigator and America's Cup participant from Hamburg is looking forward to his premiere.
"Cord Hall and Rasmus Töpsch had a great idea with the Baltic 500. I've been toying with the idea of taking part for a long time, but the timing never worked out. Now it's working out with a friend, Stefan Voss, on his Achambault A 35. I'm really looking forward to my first Baltic 500. Finally a two-handed long-distance race with a good man at my side!" The start in Strander Bucht on 14 May will be the starting signal for a challenge that is as fascinating as it is demanding.
The Baltic Sea Marathon: speed and flair required
The course takes its participants over around 500 nautical miles through the varied world of the western Baltic Sea. It passes through the familiar, yet always unpredictable waters of the Kiel Fjord, into the narrow and tactically demanding passages of the Danish archipelago. The Great Belt and exciting coastlines await, which can show completely different faces depending on the weather conditions.
The route requires not only speed, but above all a keen sense for the right moment: when is it worth taking the coastal route, when is it quicker to cross open water? "It's these decisions," says Rasmus Töpsch, "often made in the quiet of the night or under the pressure of approaching weather systems, that can ultimately make the difference between seconds and hours."
The Baltic Sea is "traditionally unpredictable", says Töpsch. Fast wind shifts, short, steep waves and repeated phases in which calm becomes a test of patience demand everything from the crews. Added to this are the special features of the region: narrow fairways, dense shipping traffic and the challenge of always keeping the right line and making the best decisions, even in the dark and when exhausted.
Many first-time participants in the eighth edition
Rasmus Töpsch knows: "The Baltic 500 is not a race that can be won by boat speed alone, even if that helps of course. It's a game of tactics, endurance and mental strength that unfolds over days. Looking at the many first-time participants this year, this is precisely where the growing appeal lies. The Baltic 500 appeals to people who are looking for more than a classic competition."
The Baltic 500 is aimed at sailors who enjoy the balance between sporting ambition and adventure at sea." Rasmus Töpsch
Co-founder Rasmus Töpsch is certain: "The fact that so many crews have decided to take part this year is no coincidence, but an expression of a development that is having a lasting impact on offshore sport in the Baltic Sea region. The Baltic 500 manages to combine professional standards and open accessibility in a way that has become rare. When the starting signals sound and the fleet gets underway, a race begins that goes far beyond mere placement."
The concept is well received. And a look at the entry list shows that this year's focus is by no means just on chasing records. The Baltic 500 organisers are expecting "highly exciting races within the race", such as thrilling JPK duels like that of the two duos Charlotte Schneider/Konrad Streit (JPK 10.30 "Renterbandk") and Juliane Hausmann/Jonathan Wille (JPK 10.30 "Hedda II").
Top sailors and "races within races" provide excitement
Well-known crews such as Arno Böhnert/Christian Heermann (First 36 "Salicornia"), Tobias Brinkmann/Sönke Boy (Pogo RC "MarieJo") or Jan Hansen/Per Cederberg with the Danish First 36 SE "The Beast" will attack and are expected to deliver exciting battles. Jonas Hallberg is coming with Jonas Hiller and his new JPK 10.50 "Hinden", which he is currently ferrying across the English Channel this weekend.
Steffen Müller brings his Knierim 33 "Zephyr" to the starting line with Jens Langwasser. Rikard Roth and Lars Jörnvi are coming with the fast Swedish XP 44 "Xar". Sonja and Hanne Jansch with the Sea Quest 36 "Si No Fos" will be competing as an all-female team. The organisers are also delighted that a surprisingly large Dehler 30 OD field of seven boats has come together.
The benchmark in this class is power player, perennial favourite and instinctive sailor Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt, who will be competing with Clara Witthinrich. Well-known competitors here are Luca Mayer and Luca Leidholdt with the "Playharder". The Danes Peter and Anders Juul are in the mix with "Sexy Beast". A look at the eleven yardstickers also makes the organisers happy. "That's more than ever before," says Rasmus Töpsch.
The starting shot is fired in Strander Bucht
The first announcement signal for the Baltic 500 will sound on 14 May at 9.55 am in Strander Bucht. The start will be at 10 am. The finish line will be closed at 4 pm on 18 May, before the winners and finishers are celebrated at the Yacht Club Strande in the evening.
New Yorker Cole Brauer came to sailing as a student via a Google search. She has since sailed around the world solo in a Class 40 and is co-skipper to Boris Herrmann. Before the Ocean Race Europe 2025, Team Malizia introduced the new American in the crew, who is now competing in the Baltic 500 with Mathias Müller von Blumencron, with this clip:
"This is no children's birthday party!" Says Baltic 500 co-founder Rasmus Töpsch. The clip from last year shows in a nutshell what the Baltic Sea test is all about:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
