Race to the Arctic: ‘Momo’ and ‘Gaia’ ride the polar low-pressure system to victory

In the end, things got exciting once again in the Race to the Arctic, the new Arctic Circle race. Although the two strong German teams had led their groups at the halfway stage, they strayed slightly from the winning path on the third stage and consequently had to compete for victory in their respective classes on the fourth stage. This was achieved both by Christoph and Benjamin Morgen on the JPK 10.50 “Momo” (NRV) in the main “Wergeland Class” and by Lina Rixgens and Sverre Reinke on the Sun Fast 30OD “Gaia” (VSaW/TSV Schilksee, built in 1947) in the “Partner Class”.

Race to the Arctic: ‘Momo’ and ‘Gaia’ already in the lead at the halfway stage

Both German pairs took part in the new Arctic Circle race kicked off with two wins each across the four stages from Mandal via Fedje, Kristiansund and Sandnessjøen to Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands. But then the conditions changed, the proportion of close-hauled sailing increased sharply, and they had to work a bit harder. In stage three, “Momo” finished third and “Gaia” fourth.

“Momo” started the final leg with just a one-point lead over the Norwegian Dehler 44 “Off Course”. “Gaia” had a two-point cushion. Then a polar low brought gusty winds. What had originally been expected to be a slow and tactical finish in dying winds turned into one of the most dramatic moments of the entire Race to the Arctic.

As the afternoon wore on, the wind had initially died down as the leading boats approached the Lofoten Islands. At first, it looked as though the larger yachts might be able to extend the lead they had built up in these light conditions, but Mother Nature had other plans: a fast-moving Arctic low-pressure system suddenly swept across the fleet, changing conditions for some crews within seconds.

Sailing in the Lofoten Islands: “beautiful, wild and wonderfully unpredictable”

Calm seas and blue skies gave way to wind speeds of 30 to 35 knots, with gusts exceeding 40 knots. The gale was accompanied by steep waves and torrential rain. The boats further back in the fleet were the first to benefit from the fresh breeze and quickly closed the gap on the leaders. “One moment the fleet was still sailing through calm waters in glorious sunshine. The next, it was caught in a polar low. That’s the Lofoten: beautiful, wild and wonderfully unpredictable.”, said race director Thomas Nilsson.

The Line Honours in the final gruelling test of the closing leg were claimed by the Norwegian Landmark 43 “White Shadow”. Whilst the Morgens on “Momo” secured their third out of a possible four leg wins – with a total of just six points on their Race to the Arctic tally and a ten-point lead over “Off Course”, a third-place finish in the final sprint was enough for Rixgens and Reinke to secure their class victory.

A four-point lead over the Norwegian First 36.7 “Lethe”, skippered by Øyvind and Morten Knudsen, had the mixed crew from Hamburg celebrating. Finishing seventh in the same class, Jochen Denkena and mini-class ace Hendrik Lenz on the Sun Fast 3200 “Arrabiata” achieved a remarkable overall result by the German trio Completely. Shortly before midnight on Sunday evening, all 62 teams still in the race had crossed the finish line. “The scenery here is so incredible, it’s like being in the Alps. Only with wind,” said Hendrik Lenz, reporting from the Svolvær finale of the Race to the Arctic.

Rixgens and Reinke: A rollercoaster ride through the final stage

Late on Sunday evening, at the finish port of the new Arctic Circle Race on the ‘Midnight Sun’ course, Lina Rixgens and Sverre Reinke looked back on a successful leg. The co-skipper said: “The first half of the race was absolutely brilliant for us! We led the fleet through the archipelago for eight hours. And then the expected left-hand turn just didn’t materialise. And all the boats on the right-hand side were way ahead. That’s just how it goes sometimes.”

In “fantastic weather”, it wasn’t just Lina Rixgens and Sverre Reinke who enjoyed a sail “with magnificent views of the mountains”. Then came the grey downpour, as Lina Rixgens from the Rodeoritt reported whilst in the polar low: “Ten nautical miles from the finish, another massive rain cloud rolled in with 35-knot winds. It sent us surging up to third place, but unfortunately also caused our new Code 0 to rip out of the leech. But we made it safely to the Lofoten Islands!”

"We’ve won the first Race to the Arctic. We’re absolutely delighted!” Lina Rixgens

This first Race to the Arctic was a race more suited to smaller boats. It took its competitors across the Arctic Circle on the final leg. The new offshore race was well received by its participants and, with its interesting route, picture-perfect coastal stretches, fantastic waters and mountain scenery, and very enthusiastic hosts, it has what it takes to become a classic. The crews in the inaugural edition came from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, the United States and Germany.

Click here for the results of the new Arctic Circle Race.