ORC-EM: Long-distance kick-off with kite loss, fighting spirit, northern lights and shooting stars
Tatjana Pokorny
· 13.08.2024
Almost everyone raved about this long distance. Even those for whom not everything went perfectly. 56 boats took part in the ORC European Championship's offshore opening test off Mariehamn. They were challenged in the sea area between the Åland Islands and Sweden. They were rewarded for their overnight efforts with twinkling northern lights and shooting stars that were uncountable. "I've wished for so much, let's see what all comes true," reported Jens Kuphal with a smile.
World champion "Beau Geste" fast, but not in front
It was no surprise that Karl Kwok's TP 52 and world champion "Beau Geste", flying the Hong Kong flag, had already completed the 186 nautical miles for the big boats after just over 19 hours. However, the professional team initially had to settle for fifth place in the field of eight large Group A boats. The calculated victory went to the slowest A-boat: Ola Sandell's Swedish M.A.T. 1220 "Karukera" crossed the finish line after 29 hours and 39 seconds. Calculated, this was enough to take the opening lead ahead of the Finnish Landmark 43 "Madame Gray" from Sampsa Vehkmaki.
Jan Opländer's crew on the Swan 45 "Katima" opened the ORC European Championship as the best German team with third place in the European Championship long distance. The three European Championship groups started the longest European Championship competition on Monday in winds of up to 25 knots. The 18 to 20 knot winds continued until the next morning, before the winds slowly died down. The course took the eight A-boats, 23 B-boats and 25 C-boats between the Åland Islands and Sweden, first to the north, then to the south and back to the European Championship harbour in Mariehamn.
It's like football with us: you need eleven people." Jens Kuphal
It wasn't just Jan Opländer who was proud of his team at the finish. Jens Kuphal particularly praised his crew, who had to manage with nine instead of eleven players after several cancellations due to illness. Ocean Race sailors Annie Lush and Phillip Kasüske took over in the absence of Max Gurgel, Ludger Gawlitta and Robert Stanjek, who had to pull out with a fever shortly before the long-distance start. "Max is our engine, Robert is the strategist - I'm really proud of my team that we came through so well."
Double misfortune for the "Intermezzo" crew
The "Intermezzo" crew made it through with nine people and also had to put up with setbacks, as Jens Kuphal reported: "We had a bit of bad luck, were actually doing well until a seam came undone just before the first mark at the 4 at the top. The sail split once, which was super annoying, because you can't get that stuff down again. We lost 20 minutes there. Then we attacked again before we lost the kite at night in a classic sun shot. We lost another 20 minutes. We couldn't get back to the front." Johannes Wackerhagen's Knierim 49 "Desna" was initially in sixth place after the long haul.
In the groups of medium-sized and smaller boats, some of the favourites have been able to place themselves at the front of the 164 nautical mile course for Division B and 135 nautical miles for Division C. In Group B of the ORC European Championship, Harles Liv's J-112E "Shadow" from Estonia leads ahead of his compatriots on the modified X-41 "Olympic" and the Danish X-41 "Nexus". The Danish-German crew on Erik Stannow's X-41 "Dixi 4" opened the European title series in sixth place. Many well-known sporting friends such as RVS boss Bertil Balser, Bendix Hügelmann, Gordon Nickel, Lennart Stegmann and Swantje Michaelis are also taking part on the former "Sportsfreund".
"The owner asked us if we could imagine forming a team with him. Quite a few sports enthusiasts stayed on board," says Bertil Balser. He continues: "On the whole, we are satisfied with the start. The expectation was probably two or three places better, because the gap to the boats at the front is already large." However, the "Dixi 4" crew still has the entire inshore series and a short offshore course on Friday to catch up before the ORC European Championship comes to an end on Saturday with the final races and the award ceremony in Mariehamn.
"Imagine" starts the ORC European Championship in 12th place
Felix Streckenbach's X-41 "Imagine" was the best German B boat to open the European Championship with twelfth place in the long distance. In 18th and 19th place were Alf Henryk Wulf's X-41 "Stardust" and Dirk Clasen's H 39 "Ginkgo". In Group C, the Estonian ORC world champion Sandro Montefusco and his crew on the Italia 9.98 "Sugar" took the lead with their long-distance victory ahead of the Swedish sister ship "Madonna" and the modified Estonian First 36.7 "Amserv Toyota St". Eike Claas Carmincke's M.A.T. 1010 "Matchbox" started the ORC European Championship in 16th place in the long-distance race. After the late return of the fleets from the long distance, the European Championship will continue on Wednesday from 2 pm with the first inshore races.
