She is 44 years old, looks beautiful and rolled up the field from behind in the long-distance classic Pantaenius Rund Skagen: the twelve-metre-long "Oromocto" won the classic at the end of the 2014 North Sea Week ahead of Stefan Voss' X-332 "Dogmatix" and the sea cruiser "Natascha". With a sailed time of three days, 26 minutes and three seconds and a calculated time of two days, 19 hours, 17 minutes and three seconds, the old mahogany monohull prevailed against 61 competitors. The ten metre long X-332 "Dogmatix" took second place in this sailing pleasure race ahead of Rolf Manderla's one metre longer "Natascha".
"Oromocto" skipper Kai Greten and his co-sailors Alexander Timm, Benjamin Müller and Tom Greten continued an old family tradition with their participation in the North Sea Week. The Gilgengast design from Bremen's De-Dood shipyard had already taken part in the North Sea Week six times in a row between 1971 and 1976 under skipper Ernst Greten. Now grandson Kai Greten has revitalised the family tradition and sailed the smart boat with its clear varnished hull and mahogany superstructure into the limelight.
The new owner has invested a lot of work in his gem since taking over in 2010. "We have constantly optimised it, returning it from touring to regatta condition. The year before last, our 'Oromocto' got a new rudder." According to Greten, his boat has a preference for half-wind courses. He reports on the Rund Skagen race: "We battled with the 'Dogmatix' from Horns Reff to Laeso."
The "Oromocto" was propelled by a small crew of just four men. Three of them have formed a unit for many years, FD sailor Tom Greten from Steinhude was new on board and took care of the trim. "I tried all the tricks I know from our little Flying Dutchman," said trimmer Greten. Skipper Greten explained his crew's successful strategy at the finish in Kiel: "We only deviated from the direct course from Langeland to Kiel. We had seen on the AIS that the yachts were slowing down off Kiel. So we made a windward bow to the black cloud ahead and were then able to sail under sail to Bülk. We made up an hour and a half there."
The "Oromocto" quartet receives the Pantaenius Rund Skapen Prize for its performance: a bronze sculpture of a Viking ship modelled on a cave drawing with club-wielding men on board. The unusual trophy was made by Admiral's Cup winner and artist Hermann Noack from Berlin. Its donor Harald Baum explains: "The race leads through a former Viking area. The trophy establishes a link between the achievements of these outstanding sailors and those of today's regatta sailors. In 1994, Baum decided to promote the traditional long-distance race and make it more attractive under its new name Pantaenius Rund Skagen.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
