Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 51 "Varuna" (NRV) finished the ÅF Offshore Race, better known as the Gotland Round, as the fastest yacht. 233 boats left Stockholm on Sunday to tackle the 350 nautical miles around the Baltic Sea island of Gotland. "It was fun, but difficult in such light winds, with constant trimming. It demanded a lot of patience from the crew and was more mentally exhausting than physically," was Jens Kellinghusen's initial assessment.
However, the smaller model from British designer Jason Ker, the Ker 46 "Shakti" from Christoph Avenarius (FSC), won the big boat group in terms of calculated time. She is the second smallest of the six yachts in the group. "The larger yachts were faster in the light wind. At first we could still see their sterns, then they were gone," said navigator Hagen Ross. The "Shakti" sailed alone for most of the race.
The overall winner has not yet been decided as not all yachts have crossed the finish line.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
