Twelve boats made up the compact fleet at the start of the inaugural Tanis von der Mosel Race. A few other teams had pulled out at the last minute. A glance at the wind forecasts may have persuaded one or two not to take on the race in these conditions just before the summer holidays. “Om” skipper Stefan Voss and his crew opted for the thrilling long-distance race, but as a result, following the mast break just under two hours after the start on Saturday afternoon, they will now have no summer holidays on their own boat. He would still do it again, though.
Originally, the name chosen for the new Bucket List race organised by the Kiel Yacht Club was 400 Islands Race was originally conceived. It was later renamed the Mosel Race in Tanis. Now it is making its debut, which feels more like a baptism of fire than a leisurely cruise through the Danish archipelago.
Tanis von der Mosel Race: 700 nautical miles through the Danish archipelago
But first things first: the announcement of the inaugural Tanis von der Mosel Race – a 700-nautical-mile course to and from Kiel – had set the German offshore sailing scene alight. To many, such a Baltic Sea race in June seemed like a highly desirable offshore sailing challenge. But as the event drew nearer, the wind forecasts proved rather daunting. Fourteen teams remained on the entry list at the last minute. Twelve turned up at the starting line. Among them was ‘Rafale’, a proven record-breaker who had most recently just had sailed the Pantaenius Round Skagen Race and won on points.
Even during the convivial farewell dinner in the Kaisersaal of the Kiel Yacht Club, the weather forecast was the dominant topic of conversation, as strong westerly winds had been forecast. The crews of very different boats each had their own take on the expected conditions. The fleet reflects the full spectrum of yachting.
At the top end of the spectrum, ultra-modern racing yachts such as Wolf Scheder-Bieschin’s J/V 43 “Vineta” (sister ship to Mathias Müller von Blumencron’s “Red 2”) and the fast Elliott 52 SS “Rafale” took to the water. Also at the start were racer-cruisers such as the JND “Sakura” or the A-35 “Om”, right through to performance cruisers such as the Dufour 325 “Plastique” or the classic S&S Swan 57 “Kairos”.
Sought and found: a long-distance crew race right on our doorstep
The crews’ motivations for taking part, on the other hand, were very similar: all of them sought and found, with the Tanis from the Mosel Race, the challenge of a long-distance race with a full crew right on their doorstep in Kiel. The course runs the daring Since 13 June, the race has been sailing anti-clockwise around all the Danish islands. Bornholm and the “Pea Islands”, Læsø and Årø, are to be left to port. The race is being sailed in two ORC groups.
On the day of the start, the crews’ fears were confirmed: the sea off Kiel was rough, with gusty winds, overcast skies and rain. The forecast westerly wind was already blowing. At the start, winds of well over 20 knots were recorded near the Kiel lighthouse. And they were set to increase. The start itself went smoothly: “Rafale” and “Vineta” did what racehorses do when their starting gates open: they crossed the line at the pin end at zero. The rest of the small fleet began the long-distance race somewhat more conservatively.
We headed out of the inner fjord on a reach. Henri de Bokay’s “Rafale” – rigged with a triple-headed rig comprising a jib top, J3 and inner staysail – presented an impressive sight. It came as no surprise that the very diverse field quickly spread out. As we reached the traffic separation zone, the swell set in. We were now on a VMG downwind course with winds well over 20 knots.
Mast broken on the “Om”, crew unharmed
Just under two hours after the starting signal on Saturday, the “Om” crew was hit by the shock of a broken mast. Owner and skipper Stefan Voss had only just successfully completed the Baltic 500 with Tim Kröger and was now competing in the Tanis von der Mosel Race with a crew of five. “We’d set off in a controlled manner and were making good speed,” Voss reports of the start of the race. The crew were sailing under A5 and mainsail in winds of around 25 knots when a slight slip by the helmsman in the swell caused the bow to briefly cut inwards.
“The rig collapsed in on itself. Fortunately, nobody was hurt,” says Stefan Voss. The gunwales and stern boxes were also dented because parts had fallen onto them. It quickly became clear to the unharmed crew that there was nothing to salvage. Using special saws, large pliers and knives, they set to work cutting up the rod rig – which was only three years old and had been regularly and thoroughly maintained – and sinking it for the safety of the crew and the boat. The sad but focused and swift procedure took about half an hour.
All that remained was a stump in the boat. The crew then managed to reach the harbour at Strande under their own steam some three and a half hours later. Before that, the skipper had informed the nearby boats that no outside assistance was required. “A small rescue cruiser did eventually make contact with us. I thanked them and asked them to keep an eye on us. We were really battling strong winds and waves. If your engine fails in those conditions, you can suddenly find yourself in a maritime emergency very quickly,” explained Voss.
“Rafale” sets the pace in the Tanis von der Mosel Race
It was the first time the mast had broken on the Archambault, which was built in 2009. The exact cause could not be determined at first. “I take everything apart every winter and check the mast. But with an aluminium thing like that, you’re never really right inside it,” mused Stefan Voss the day after the mishap, which cost him and his crew not only the race but also their planned summer holiday on their own boat, whilst the sister ship “Skuum” – about half a mile astern when “Om”’s mast broke – continued the race.
The race also took its toll on other crews, and for some, it was simply too much. Twenty-six hours after Saturday’s start, eight boats were still in the race on Sunday afternoon. Leading the pack was “Rafale” with skipper Klaas Höpcke. Even their highly experienced navigator, Robin Zinkmann, had known the evening before the race that it would likely be “the toughest race our crew has ever faced”.
The crew of the “Vineta” has now also arrived in Marstal with a torn A6. When “Rafale” rounded Christiansø at 2 am on a very early Sunday morning after 16 hours, the JPK 10.30 “Alma Roberta 2” had already sailed on to Warnemünde with a torn mainsail. Click here to access the Race Tracker for the Tanis von der Mosel Race 2026. On Sunday afternoon, the “Rafale” was heading for the Øresund, whilst the bulk of the remaining fleet was making its way north of Bornholm.
Tanis von der Mosel Race: “A great idea that should stick around!”
The fact that the inaugural Tanis von der Mosel Race has proved so gruelling has presented – and continues to present – major challenges for the organisers and participants. Nevertheless, the concept behind this long-distance race remains sound. This view was also shared by Mathias Müller von Blumencron, who has already competed in many major races such as the Fastnet Race and, on numerous occasions, the Normandy Channel Race took part. The skipper of the “Red 2” also wanted to take part in the new race with his crew, but decided against starting in the end, having weighed up the wind forecasts and opted to protect his equipment.
Mathias Müller von Blumencron said: “We would have loved to have had a good battle with ‘Rafale’ and ‘Vineta’. But the risk to the equipment – not to the boat itself – was too high for me. It’s still great that they took part in this race. It’s a brilliant idea and I hope it stays that way. Perhaps they could consider introducing a bit more flexibility in future. I’ve finished many Normandy Channel Races, but none went the full distance because the organisers brought the finish line forward or changed the course. Perhaps, in very difficult conditions, it isn’t necessary to sail around all the Danish islands.”
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
