There will be plenty of challenges and more offshore on all three Vegvisir Race Nyborg 2023 courses compared with the 2022 edition. For the first time since 2018, the participants will not pass through Femernsund. Further the participants will be blessed with the light of the "Blue Moon" full moon, which lights up the courses in the otherwise dark late summer night.
There will be both well know and totally new initiatives when the sailors compete in the 2023 edition of Vegvisir Race Nyborg. As usual, on all courses, Vegvisir Race consists of a combination of sailing on open water and sailing in the very narrow, grounded and current-filled passages. It requires that the participants are constantly on their toes and 100% involved in the navigation. At the same time, work must be done with changes and trim of sails. Finally, the race offers two nights at sea on the long course and possibly also on the intermediate course, while the short course guarantees one night under open sky. In 2023, the sailors will benefit from a 100% full moon precisely on the start day of the race, Thursday 31 August.
Larger boats can join
- After this year's event, where we had two shortenings, we have chosen to make the longest course shorter. This means that the participants have to keep 4.7 knots on average to get around in 48 hours. That is why we put in check points where the sailors are obliged to check for course changes on the official Notice Board on the event website. On the long course it will probably be at the Svendborgsund Bridge and the Farø Bridge, says Morten Brandt from the Vegvisir Race Nyborg organisation.
He also says that the reason why the Fehmarn Sound has been replaced with the Fehmarn Belt is that the air draft under the Fehmarn Sound Bridge is only 22 m, which has been a limitation that has effectively excluded larger boats.
- We have had the participants on the long course under the Fehmarn Sound Bridge many times. We think it's time to try something new. And a long east/west leg will give the offshore part of the race a new dynamic. At the same time, there are still both Svendborgsund and Grønsund, where transitions and gear changes are crucial, says Morten Brandt.
You will become a better sailor
The middle course is longer but a little less complicated than the 2022 edition. This course also has a long offshore section from Marstal, past Gedser to Grønsund. The short course is longer and more complicated than last year. Especially the passages of Femø and Vejrø are demanding challenges.
All in all, the three courses require a lot of preparation before the start and a lot of attention during race.
- I claim that you are a better sailor after completing Vegvisir Race than you were before. You learn new things about the waters you sail in, about your boat, about the value of preparation and then you learn something new about yourself, which truly is the virtues of Vegvisir Race, says Morten Brandt.
The Courses one by one
It applies to all three courses that the sailing direction is determined by wind and weather and is only announced at the skipper's meeting immediately before the starts. Below you will find an overview of the three courses with a clockwise sailing direction. Common to the two long courses is the passage of the Fehmarn Belt, which includes sailing through the construction work for the Fehmarn Connection. There will be thorough information about this at the skipper's meeting, but it will be good seamanship to be well prepared and familiarize with the conditions for the race in due time.
The 78er – Blue Course
After the start in Nyborg, the course takes the participants east across the Great Belt, where the T-route must be passed safely. Next challenges Agersø, which must be kept on starboard, while the route heads east towards Femø, which the sailors must keep on starboard. From here they’ll go northwest with Fejø on port and Vejrø on starboard, before heading northwest towards Nyborg. Here the participants must be careful not to get too close to the grounds south of Omø.
The 158 - Green Course
Last year's middle distance has become a little longer. Instead of 158 nautical miles, the distance this year is 169 nautical miles. The track features the Vegvisir Race specialties Rudkøbingløbet and Grønsund. After the passage south through Rudkøbingløbet, the participants will head further west across the waters between Langeland and Ærø with Strynø to starboard. Marstal is passed on the starboard side before entering the Baltic Sea passing south of Langeland, then east towards Denmark's southernmost point, Gedser Odde. From here north towards the Grønsund between the islands Falster and Møn. Then westwards into the Småland Sea with a final challenge, namely the passage between Fejø and Vejrø before the final sprint towards Nyborg, where the participants must be careful not to get too close to the grounds south of Omø.
The 225 – Red Lane
The long course will be shortened by approximately 13 nautical miles compared with 2022. Svendborgsund will be revisited in 2023. Then the participants go to the westernmost island of the South Funen archipelago, Lyø, which is rounded on the port side. After this, the participants go out towards the Baltic Sea on a very long leg to a compass mark north of Dasser Ort. From there northwest to the current-filled Grønsund, westward north of Femø and Fejø, but south of Vejrø. North through Agersøsund before going directly back to Nyborg.
40% Early Bird discount throughout October
The registration is open from on Monday OCT 10 at 10:00 a.m. The Early Bird price is 40% below the standard price. The Early Bird period ends on OCT 31 2022.
Vegvisir Race Nyborg 2022, had 189 registered boats. It was Denmark's third largest long distance sail race. The 157 of the 189 took part in the double-handed race, making the event the largest double-handed sailrace in Northern Europe.