Battle of the Baltic

Schedule announced for June's Volvo Baltic Race

Anyone thinking that this event for VO60s would just be a midsummer breeze around the Baltic learned very quickly. Even the old hands said that, at times, these were full throttle, round the world race conditions. The competition was hot, tense and down to the wire right to the end. That was the Volvo Baltic Race 2003 and now it’s back again this summer for another Battle of the Baltic.

This year’s event will take place from 19 June-7 July. A mixture of sharp inshore racing tactical skills and offshore endurance is what will be needed to win this unique series, which combines coastal races, windward/leeward races and three long offshore races. Over 1300 nautical miles in 19 days with barely 30 hours between finishes and restarts in which to recover is a tough schedule. And the Baltic can be cold, and as the event saw last year, very windy.

The event will be run in cooperation with the The Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS), The Kieler Yacht Club (KYC), and The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) and begins in Gothenburg on June 19 with a coastal race.

Racing schedule:

19 June 1100 Start Inshore/coastal race 30 - 40 nautical miles (nm) approx
20 June 1500 Start Gothenburg (Swe) – Copenhagen (Den) 175 nm approx
21 June Pit stop Copenhagen
22 June Prize Giving 1800
23 June 1800 Start Copenhagen – Kiel (Ger)156 nm approx
24 June ETA Kiel
25 June 1100 Inshore Race Kiel 30 – 50 nm approx
26 June 0830 Start Kiel to Warnemunde (Ger) 100 nm approx
27 June 1500 Start Warnemunde – Sandhamn (Swe) 400 nm approx
29 June ETA Sandhamn
01 July 1000 Parade of sail to Stockholm returning the following day
02 July 1800 Prize Giving
04 July 1300 First start The Gant Gotland Runt 364 nm
05 July 1000 ETA Sandhamn
07 July 1100 windward/leeward x 3
1900 Final prize Giving