Vegvisir Race Adjusts Courses as Wind Forecasts Put Sailors Under Pressure

Local hero Kim Haugaard in the homebuild Kimoca 35 led the doublehanded fleet out of the fjord of Nyborg.

The wind is turning up the pressure on the sailors in Vegvisir Race Nyborg.With forecasts calling for mean winds of up to 28 knots.

The wind is turning up the pressure on the sailors in Vegvisir Race Nyborg.

With forecasts calling for mean winds of up to 14 m/s 28 knots, the already demanding courses have become an even greater challenge.

The decision has been particularly significant for the 200 NM Singlehanded fleet. All registered 200 NM singlehanded sailors have chosen to remain ashore rather than start the race.

One exception has been made. One of the singlehanded sailors Jan Hansen will start tomorrow on the Green Course, taking on the shorter course under the revised conditions.

Both courses redesigned

With the weather forecast in mind, Vegvisir Race has redesigned both courses.

The Red Course has been shortened to approximately 180 NM. The long beat towards Flensburg Fjord has been removed.

Instead, after passing Ærø, the doublehanded fleet will head between Avernakø and Drejø, before rejoining the course and continuing into Svendborgsund.

The Green Course has been shortened to approximately 84 NM.

The revised course takes the fleet around Langeland, passing Marstal and Ærø, before heading north through Rudkøbingløbet and back towards Nyborg.

The weather is still the deciding factor

The current forecast continues to show mean winds above 17 m/s from Saturday at 13:00.

That gives Race Management a clear objective:

We want all boats safely back in Nyborg before t

he stronger winds arrive.

The course reductions are therefore not simply about making the race shorter. They are about maintaining the challenge while giving the fleet a realistic opportunity to complete the race within a safer weather window.

For the sailors already out on the water, the race remains a demanding test of seamanship, navigation, tactics and decision-making.

The Baltic is offering plenty of all four.