Brits second

After start of catamaran Archipelago Raid through the Swedish and Finnish archipelago

In light winds but an otherwise glorious summer morning, the 28 catamarans shot off over the start line of the Archipelago Raid at 08.30 local time (06.30 GMT) in the heart of Stockholm.

The record number of competitors in the world’s longest and toughest orienteering sailing competition, jostled by the start line for best position. The local teams Jobman and AB Gustavsberg were fastest over the line with good speed and free wind. Some determined paddling meant that the small boats started their five day adventure in 3-4 knots of speed towards the first checkpoint of the race.

The ocean sailors and Archipelago Raid veterans, Magnus Woxén (SWE) and Rodney Ardern (NZ) on Sogeti, led the fleet to the first checkpoint and thereby won the first point of the race. It is full-on action at each checkpoint, as many of the boats are tight together and the competitors practically throw themselves toward the “check point horn” in order to leave as soon as possible.

The leading pack of six boats passed the second checkpoint further out in the Archipelago by 13.30 local time, chasing the first boat, Addicom 1, who has gained 10 minutes on the pack behind. The Brits William Sunnucks and Mark Self on X-Leisure were second boat to pass the checkpoint.

During this first day of the race the boats will pass seven checkpoints to complete the first leg and stop for a compulsory pit-stop in Nynashamn in the southern parts of the Stockholm Archipelago. Here they will carry out necessary reparations, prepare for the next leg, eat, drink and hopefully have time for rest before the restart sometime tonight.

This unusual and very exotic race has developed an international reputation. No less than 20 brave sailors from 10 foreign countries have found their way to these northerly waters and the competition is tough. Many of the foreign teams are fulltime sailors on this type of boat, but the local teams have previous experience of the race format, the area and have become familiar with the boat. Many are tipped as favourites and who will be first over the finish line on Friday afternoon is impossible to predict.

Most teams have one thing in common: they are all reluctant to too light winds as paddling is aloud. Is there too little wind muscles and stamina will determine the winner more than a good sailor...

For the foreign teams the navigation is probably the greatest challenge, especially at night among the thousands of treacherous rocks and islets. You constantly have to have total control of where you are. The local teams know the archipelago well and definitely have some advantage of this, but in the Archipelago of Aland/Finland everyone is on same terms.

The winds are slightly picking up to around 8-10 knots. Local strokes of wind can give the boats really good speed.

Position – of the 6 first boats by checkpoint 2, ”Grinda”, at. 14.00 local time

There are five legs with around six checkpoints on each leg. The result is based on a point system determined by the arrival position of each leg, plus 0,5 points for the first boat at each checkpoint.
1. Addicom 1 - Fredrik Adilstam (SWE) and Pontus Johansson (SWE) – Third 2003
2. X-Leisure - William Sunnucks (GB) and Mark Self (GB) (11 min behind leader)
3. Frugo - Zbigniew Gutkowski (POL) and Adam Skomski (POL)
4. Tidermans - Anders Lewander (SWE) and Calle Hennix (SWE)
5. PAF - Patrick Blom (FIN) and Kasimir Johansson (FIN)
6. Jobman - Björn Hansen (Åland) and Tore Lewander (SWE) (20 min behind leader)

More photos on page 2...