Every year on the Saturday morning of the Whitsun weekend, the time has come again: the crews set off from four different locations to their common destination off Heligoland. A shore programme awaits them on the island, and the big boot Regatta Party with live music takes place in the evening. But it was a long way to get there yesterday, the crews really had to earn their arrival and celebration in the light wind conditions, with the wind increasing steadily throughout the day. Albert Schweizer, Race Director of the North Sea Week, told YACHT that he was delighted with the conditions: "We are blessed with the great weather for this year's North Sea Week, which is taking place almost two weeks earlier than usual." The organisation and execution of such a regatta is much easier in sunny conditions.
The "Noblex Cup" of the North Sea Week took the crews from Cuxhaven to Helgoland. In the end, it was won by Tom Stryi's crew on the "Pax" in the ORC group. The IMX 40 from X-Yachts had a lead of almost four minutes over the runners-up based on the calculated time. This place was taken by the Hanseat 69 with David Kortmann on his "Coriolis". The remaining place on the podium was secured by the crew of the "Oromocto". Kai Greten and his team were just 50 seconds behind the runners-up according to the calculated time. Three yachts competed in the classic group of the "Noblex Cup". The "Peter von Seestermühe" secured victory ahead of "Anita" and the "Germania VI".
The race to Helgoland for the crews starting from Hooksiel began at nine o'clock. A total of eight ships were at the start. In the ORC group, the crew of the Swan 38 "Truwen" led by helmsman and owner Jens-Werner Hinrichs won the race, which is organised as W4 at the North Sea Week. Behind him in second and third place were two boats from X-Yachts. Philipp Veith took second place with his X-99 "EXception". Almost exactly three minutes later, the owners' association Kruse, Giese, Brulager crossed the finish line on their X-99 "Friesisch X".
At ten o'clock, the starting line was released for the crews who set off from Bremerhaven for Helgoland. Here, Maik Gütersloh won the ORC class on his BM96 "Zappalotte". Matthias Böker and his crew took second place. They sailed the first regatta on his greenboat one-off "Keena", which he designed. "I heard that they were still working on it until shortly before the start," said Marcus J. Boehlich, Head of Organisation for the North Sea Week, in recognition of the exceptional performance at the award ceremony. Third place in the feeder regatta from Bremerhaven to Helgoland went to Olaf Hadre and crew. They sailed on "Vollgut", Hadre's CB 33.
Several crews had already sailed in regattas as part of the North Sea Week on Friday: In the "Garmin Cup", in which the crews sailed from Hamburg to Cuxhaven, Dirk Selter's boat won the ORC group. He and his crew on the Winner 10.20 "Kalea" were only one minute and 7 seconds ahead of the second-placed team led by Tom Stryi after the calculated time. The gap behind them was even narrower: Joerg Zieron and his crew on "Amuse Bouche", a Tripp 40, were only a whopping five seconds behind the runners-up. In addition, 18 crews made their way from Cuxhaven to Helgoland on Friday evening as part of the "Glück Early Bird Series". The "Sundowner" was won by Dirk Clasen's Humphreys 39 "Ginkgo". In second place was the "Red" of owner Ulf Ahrens. The Class 40 was sailed by skipper Paul Posch and three other crew members. Steffen Müller's crew on the P33 "Zephyr" from Knierim Yachtbau was four minutes behind in the calculated time.
