Warnemünder Woche: Action-packed 88th Round of Bornholm – ‘Skendata-Illbruck’ takes the win

The ‘Rund Bornholm’ long-distance regatta is one of the most demanding German offshore races in the Baltic Sea. As one of the sporting highlights of Warnemünder Woche, the classic route covers around 250 nautical miles from Warnemünde, round the Danish island of Bornholm and back. Depending on the wind and the type of boat, crews usually take between 24 and 48 hours to complete the course. The non-stop race places considerable demands on the teams, requiring continuous night watches, physical stamina and precise navigation.

How compensation schemes ensure fairness

The race is scored in various categories, including ‘Yardstick’ and ‘ORC’. For anyone unfamiliar with these abbreviations: in a regatta such as Rund Bornholm, a wide variety of boats compete against one another, ranging from smaller family yachts to large, high-tech racing craft. If the race were judged solely on who crossed the finish line first, the largest and fastest yachts would almost always win. To ensure the results are fair, the sailing times are ‘adjusted’ using handicap systems.

• Yardstick: An empirical system in which each boat model is assigned a fixed numerical value based on empirical data. Slower boats are thus given a time bonus, whilst faster boats receive a penalty.
• ORC (Operational Rating Congress): A scientific process in which each boat is precisely measured and a physical computer model is created. The computer calculates a theoretical target time based on the prevailing wind conditions. The boat that finishes furthest below this time wins.
• ORC Club: The simplified version of the ORC system. Here, owners are allowed to enter the boat’s details themselves based on the manufacturer’s specifications. To prevent abuse, the system applies safety factors.

In addition to the prestigious ‘First Ship Home’ (the first boat to physically enter the port of destination), fair winners will therefore also be crowned in the individual handicap classifications.

Severe weather warning: Race organisers shorten the course

On 6 July 2026, 34 crews set sail from Warnemünde. Conditions were moderate at the start, with winds of around 15 knots from the west. However, the weather forecasts indicated a powerful low-pressure system over Finland, which was expected to cause a significant increase in wind strength as the regatta progressed.

Whilst the first leg eastwards promised fast downwind and close-hauled legs, gusts of up to ten Beaufort were forecast for the night from Monday to Tuesday. A return journey against these wind masses would have meant an extremely strong crosswind against steep waves. For safety reasons, the race committee therefore decided to shorten the course even before the start: the turning mark was set north of Rügen, halving the total distance to around 120 nautical miles.

First Ship Home: ‘Skendata-Illbruck’

On the shortened course, the “Skendata-Illbruck” from the Greifswald Regatta Club was the first boat to cross the finish line shortly after 2.00 am. The former ocean racer thus secured the ‘First Ship Home’ title at the 88th edition of the ‘Rund Bornholm’.

Immediately after crossing the finish line, a traditional gesture took place on the water: the race organisers handed over a crate of beer via a dinghy.

"With winds of 30 knots, it was a tricky undertaking,"

said race director Dirk Jahnke. Skipper Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt Nevertheless, he was delighted with the night-time reception despite the difficult conditions:

"The bit with the beer crate is brilliant, of course. At two in the morning in rubbish weather. Absolutely brilliant."

A controlled attack: heading towards the mark at 18 knots

On the first leg, the crew of the “Skendata-Illbruck” adopted a defensive approach. To avoid damage in the forecast strong winds, they sailed with a reduced sail area. Nevertheless, the yacht reached top speeds of up to 18.5 knots under sail before rounding the mark north of Rügen at 18:25 on 6 July.

The subsequent return journey proved to be the ordeal we had anticipated. Constant rain and short, steep cross-waves took their toll on the boat. With a small jib and a flat-trimmed, unreefed mainsail, the boat ploughed its way through the night.

Looking at the race as a whole, Schmidt-Rybandt expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and defended the race organisers’ decision:

Sailing the full length of Bornholm would, of course, have been brilliant from a sailing point of view. But we were honestly relieved that it was shortened. By the time we sailed across the finish line at 2.00 am, we’d had quite enough.”

Gale-force winds at the finish: Six crews forced to abandon the race due to the weather

Whilst heavy squalls swept across the Mittelmole in Warnemünde on Tuesday (7 July), the rest of the fleet gradually made their way in. However, the tough conditions took their toll: a total of six crews were forced to abandon the race early and headed back to the harbour under engine power. By early afternoon, the remaining boats had moored safely in the harbour, where the final results of the handicap class rankings were announced that evening.

Final results: The winners of the handicap categories

​Yardstick rating

• 1st place: “Skendata-Illbruck” (Skipper Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt) – Estimated time: 20:15:28 / Is at the same time First Ship Home
• 2nd place: “OSPA” (Skipper Otto Timm) – Estimated time: 20:21:47.
• Time spent sailing: The two former ocean racers remained with less than 13 hours for the shortened 120-nautical-mile course, well below the estimated time. At the actual finish line, the ships were separated by just under four minutes.

ORC rating

• 1st place: “Universitas” (Skipper Hauke Sponholz) – Estimated time: 17:46:51 / Time sailed: 15 hours and 40 minutes.
• 2nd place: “Exciter” (Skipper Jens Kuphal) – Estimated time: 17:53:06 / Time sailed: 15 hours and 55 minutes.

ORC Club Classification

• 1st place: Moana (Skipper Jan Laschinsky)
• 2nd place: Ocean Calling (Skipper Markus Linde)

More on this topic:

• ​Profile: Oli Schmidt-Rybandt, the sailing all-rounder
• ​​Warnemünder Woche: Spectacular finale and a broken mast during the Rund Bornholm race
• ​Warnemünder Woche: After long nights – ten crews complete the Round Bornholm Marathon
• ​Warnemünder Woche: Record for the round-Bornholm race beaten; oar breakage overcome
• ​Accident: German yacht sinks off Bornholm