North Sea Week: Germany's offshore queen gets underway - Pantaenius Rund Skagen runs

Blue skies, white fair weather clouds and a nice breeze of between twelve and 14 knots: The crews could hardly have wished for better conditions off Helgoland at the start of the offshore classic Pantaenius Rund Skagen on Whit Monday afternoon. First held in 1932, Germany's long-distance queen was looking forward to a rather summery edition. "We had booked Sunshine Reggae for the North Sea Week - and got it," said Jonas Hallberg from the Kiel Yacht Club.

The 2022 double-handed world champion, his co-skipper and co-world champion Till Barth, Luca Leidholdt and Jannis Holthusen have set their sights high for the Pantaenius Rund Skagen with the JPK 10.30 "Hinden". The quartet led the International German Sailing Championship organised as part of the North Sea Week after the Capitell Cup Rund Helgoland in ORC B. "The "Hinden" is the benchmark," says Stefan Voss (Yacht-Club Langballigau), who was in second place in ORC B with his crew on the Archambault 35 "Om" ahead of Kai Greten's one-tonner "Oromocto" (Hannoverscher Yacht-Club) after the Helgoland round and before the multi-day offshore showdown.

Pantaenius Round Skagen: fast race ahead

In ORC A, the leading IDM crews are expecting a fast race. After the Capitell Cup, Dirk Klasen's Humphreys 39 "Ginkgo", which had just won the German Offshore Award for "Best German Offshore Yacht" in April, was in the lead. The ten-strong crew in the Pantaenius Rund Skagen is being chased by strong pursuers such as Henri de Bokay's Elliot 52 SS "Rafale" (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) with skipper Malte Päsler (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein), Christoph Mählmann's Swan 46 "Rarotonga" (Blankeneser Segel-Club), Thomas Reinecke's Millenium 40 Q.B. "Edelweiss" (Segel-Club Oevelgönne von 1901), Johannes Wackerhagen's fast Knierim 49 "Desna" from the Kieler Yacht-Club and other ambitious teams.

At the end you have to cross a bit towards Skagen and then you can shoot down the Baltic Sea with a good easterly wind" (Malte Päsler)

"Rafale" helmsman Malte Päsler explained his crew's prospects before the start on Helgoland: "The weather doesn't look too bad. I think we'll make good time up the North Sea, have to cross a bit towards Skagen at the end and can then shoot down the Baltic Sea with a good easterly wind. We're really looking forward to that. We'll unpack the big sails and hopefully arrive in Kiel quickly." Initial routings indicated that the fastest yachts might arrive on Wednesday afternoon. Despite favourable forecasts, the 24-year-old course record will be difficult to break: In 2000, Dr Klaus Murmann's "Uca" mastered the course with the crew around helmsman Walter Meier-Kothe in 43 hours and 46 minutes.

Sailmakers in North Sea Week double duty

Self-employed sailmaker Justus Klemme from the Wedel-Schulau Sailing Club is also starting the Pantaenius Rund Skagen with the "Rarotonga". During the North Sea Week, he put in night shifts and repaired broken sails before taking part in the sailing marathon. Justus Klemme said: "They were exhausting days, nice customers, lots of jobs. It started with quite a lot of wind at the beginning. Which of course also gave us a lot more sails. We had a lot of codes, a lot of downwinds, a lot of gennakers and a lot of spinnakers to patch ..."

On Saturday, the young sailor and his team didn't get to bed until 2am. "The biggest task was to get all the broken sails ready on time by the morning. Which takes a bit of time, because they arrive wet and salty. But we managed everything well," said Justus Klemme. His "Rarotonga" crewmate Frauke Block summarised the fascination of Pantaenius Rund Skagen before the long-distance start: "The attractive thing about Rund Skagen is the different sea areas. You start in the North Sea, followed by the Skagerrak and Kattegat. And everything can change again in the Baltic Sea. It simply covers everything once. And the long route is always great too!"

The race is often tactically demanding and offers so many facets. It's simply a really great course" (Jonas Hallberg)

"Hinden" skipper Jonas Hallberg agreed: "The whole course is extremely good, offering so many different facets. The description on the Pantaenius homepage is exactly right: the race is often tactically challenging and always offers opportunities to do something. It's simply a really great course!"

End lane blockade on course for Kiel?

"Everyone is looking forward to a fast round this year," says "Desna" helmsman and RVS boss Bertil Balser. However, the smaller boats will have to hurry, as an area of high pressure could rob them of the wind for the final passage to Kiel. "The high pressure could block the finish in the Bay of Kiel. We have to get through it beforehand," Jonas Hallberg explained his crew's objective before the start of the Pantaenius Rund Skagen.

Daniel Baum (Hamburger Segel-Club) gave all starters further important wishes for the course. The Hamburg-based owner and skipper of the beautiful one-off "Elida" said: "We hope that everyone stays healthy and has fun!" Daniel Baum said of the race itself: "With its different waters and winds, the Pantaenius Rund Skagen is simply a great regatta. I can only encourage everyone to take part in it."

We will be glued to the tracker like in the Ocean Race" (Albert Schweizer)

The starting signal for the German sailing adventure was given on Whit Monday afternoon. Principal Race Officer Albert Schweizer, who sent the 42 boats onto the course in three groups, also expected a "fast race and a marvellous race". Schweizer continued: "We will be glued to the tracker like in the Ocean Race. We are delighted that Pantaenius is supporting us in this endeavour, as it allows us to bring the race even closer to the public."

Click here for the tracker for the Pantaenius Round Skagen.

A look back: the Capitell Cup round Helgoland

More than 80 boats took part in the light-winded and therefore abbreviated Capitell Cup Rund Helgoland on Whitsunday. Race director Albert Schweizer compared the conditions with those that often prevail on inland lakes, plus the treacherous tidal currents around Germany's only offshore island. Albert Schweizer said: "That and the wind holes were a real challenge." It was mainly the older and heavier boats that got stuck in the lulls. As well as boats with little room for manoeuvre in the sail wardrobe.

In the Family Cruiser Cup, Claus Weegen's Banner 33 Race "Ragazzi" took the lead after a calculated time, followed by Matthias Müller's Farr 1104 "Njord". Maik Leßmaier and his crew on the "Roaz V" came third. Christoph von Reibnitz's yawl "Peter von Seestermühe" won the classics group. The twelve-man "Anita" from the Rheingau Sailing Association sailed to second place with Bernard Frieling's team, ahead of the "Germania VI" with its crew led by Felix Schulz.

In the speed machines in ORCi A/B, Tom Stryi's crew on the IMX 40 "Pax" came out on top. Ralf Lässig steered the XP-44 "Xenia" to second place. Maik Dünnfründ's X-41 "Dockenhuden" sailed to third place after a calculated time. Jörg Zieron's Tripp 40 "Amuse Bouche" won the ORCC A/B group ahead of Heiko Steppat's J/111 "segelLore". Norbert Drücker's BM 53 DS "Sunbird" came third. In the ORCi C group, Dr Harald Brüning's Farr 30 "Topas" won ahead of Michael Schlee's X-35 "Alexis" and Michael Haacke's X-sister "Maxima". In the ORCC C group, Mathias Matthies' J/88 "Jam" won ahead of Maik Gütersloh's BM 96 "Zappalotte" and Hagen Reese's Faurby 396 "Susewind". Tobias Wulfs was unbeatable in the ORCC D group with his Seascape 27 "Avanti". He was followed by Jan Peterson's J/80 "GerdaM" and David Kortmann's Hanseat 69 "Coriolis".

IDM Sea Sailing embedded in the North Sea Week

As a traditional race of the North Sea Week, the Capitell Cup Rund Helgoland offered both the participants of the North Sea Week and the embedded starters of the IDM Seesegeln the magnificent sailing stage in the North Sea, characterised by the red rock. The Capitell Cup Rund Helgoland marked the start for the championship sailors. The titles are awarded in the Pantaenius Rund Skagen.

Regatta fun around the red rock - scenes from the Capitell Cup round Helgoland: