Baltic 500: Double-handed race started off Strande - 40 boats on course around Zealand

Anyone who has followed the history of the popular two-handed regatta in recent years will perhaps remember the fifth edition in 2023 and the words of Line Honours winner Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt: "There has never been a Line Honours winner as slow as us. And never has a Line Honours winner been as small as us." Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt and co-skipper Felix Hauss were "first ship home" last year with the Dehler 30 OD "PowerPlay" after 3 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes and 51 seconds. The race was a doldrums poker game for crews with good nerves and plenty of time.

Experienced duos in two-handed use

This year, "PowerPlay" skipper Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt from Regatta-Verein Greifswald is back at the start with Jens Scholz. There are also seven other Dehler sister ships and four yardstickers. 28 boats will be battling for the podium in ORC Club, good placings and fun in the challenging double-handed Baltic Sea regatta over around 350 nautical miles. There is not enough wind for a full 500 nautical miles on this long weekend in May.

Among the better-known starters are the 2022 Doublehanded World Champions Jonas Hallberg and Till Barth (Kieler Yacht-Club/Yacht-Club Godewind) with the JPK 10.30 "Hinden", Tim Behrendt and Andreas Buchheim (Kieler Yacht-Club) with the JPK 11.80 "Frida" as well as Michael Höfgen (Flensburger Segel-Club) and Jasper Marwege from the sailing club Das Wappen von Bremen with their new Arcona 385 "Lightworks", who initially took the line honours lead on Father's Day evening.

Lina Rixgens and Sverre Reinke test themselves with their new Sun Fast 30 OD "Gaia", which they only took over at the beginning of this year following boot Düsseldorf. Kalle Dehler attacks with Torsten Grünhagen on the Dehler 38 C "Sporthotel". Hajo Hensel and Martin Buck on the "tutto bene" are also likely to be fighting for a place on the podium in the Dehler 30 OD. Regatta director Cord Hall expects the fleet to return on Sunday. The light winds should be replaced by more pressure as early as next night.

Hope for the downwind slide home

Cord Hall said after the starts on Thursday morning: "It was predicted today that the fleet would initially sail into the doldrums, but we made good use of an hour with very light winds to drive the field across the start line." More wind is already waiting in the Belt. "They will then hopefully get as far as the Øresund with the westerly current. And then we hope for a nice downwind chute home on Sunday," says Cord Hall. The race organisers had also considered a course around Anholt, but weather consultant Sebastian Wache was not the only one to consider this option too risky in view of the light winds. The Baltic 500 is traditionally organised by the dedicated team at the organising Yacht Club Strande.

Click here for the live tracker for the 6th Baltic 500.