Roschier Baltic Sea Race - International Allure

Start Helsinki Finland 27th July 2024 

#RoschierBalticSeaRace  @RORCRacing

The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race will start from Helsinki on 27th July 2024 © mariia-kauppi

The 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race has already attracted an international alumni for the second edition of the 635nm offshore race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club together with the Ocean Racing Alliance. Starting on July 27, the race is held in almost continuous daylight of the Nordic Summer. Competitors will experience a huge variety of conditions in the enchanting Baltic Sea.

The Roschier Baltic Sea Race is held in the vast marine basin between Sweden, Finland and the Central European mainland, which provides a fascinating environment for the latest 600-mile race on the offshore racing circuit.

Finland’s capital city of Helsinki supports and hosts both the start and the finish of the race providing simple logistics for overseas competitors. Sailors already registered for the 2024 edition come from Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. A warm welcome awaits from the RORC and the Finnish hosts.

Current Entry List HERE

The route of the 635nm offshore Roschier Baltic Sea Race © Predict Wind

Over 30 teams are expected to race for Line Honours and IRC Class Trophies. The overall winner is decided by the best corrected time under IRC, meaning all of the entries have an equal chance of winning the Baltic Sea Race Trophy. IRC is the time on time handicap rating used by nearly all of the major offshore races around the world. For competitors, making the best of the weather and ocean currents are the keys to victory.

The start of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race in 2022 © Pepe Korteniemi /pepe@photex.fi

Tech.Talk – Finding the Edge

Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán will be making their debut in the 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race. Zennstrom is a native of Sweden and his Team Rán are no strangers to the Baltic Sea having competed numerous times in the Gotland Runt. Steve Hayles is the navigator on Carkeek 52 Rán. He has competed in six round the world races and was the winning navigator for Team Rán’s back-to-back overall victories in the 2009 and 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race.

Steve Hayles - navigator on Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán © AlexTurnbull

“As the race is held in late July we can expect light winds, but local effects can produce significant changes to that forecast,” commented Steve Hayles. “Much of the racecourse has influences from the land which can produce sea breezes, either enhancing or cancelling out the gradient wind. The Baltic Sea's salinity is much lower than that of ocean water. The open surface waters of the Baltic Sea ‘proper’ generally have a salinity of 0.3 to 0.9%, which is border-line freshwater. Although the Baltic Sea does not have significant currents, with a low wind speed, the effect can be proportionality significant. Also surface fresh water from rain squalls can dramatically increase current.

"The Roschier Baltic Sea Race is unlikely to feature huge seas and big breeze, but it is a complex and fascinating race for any sailor. The race is relatively new in comparison to the other 600-mile classics, it adds a fascinating new challenge," concluded Hayles.

Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán © Alex Turnbull

The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race starts on July 27. The Royal Ocean Racing Club with the Ocean Racing Alliance (ORA) is supported by the City of Helsinki, the Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK), Finnish Ocean Racing Association (FORA), Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK), FINIRC and the Xtra Stærk Ocean Racing Society.

For on-line entry and more information: https://balticsearace.rorc.org/

ENDS/... Louay Habib/RORC

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Suomenlinna sea fortress - a UNESCO World Heritage site at the entrance of Helsinki Harbour © Juha Kalaoja

Finland’s capital city of Helsinki supports and hosts both the start and the finish of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race

© Marko korkeakoski/stock.adobe.com

SPONSORS:

IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

SUPPORTERS:

RORC Race Enquiries/Entries:

Royal Ocean Racing Club

T: +44 (0)1983 295144

E:  racing@rorc.org

W:  http://www.rorc.org

Royal Ocean Racing Club:

20 St James's Place

London SW1A 1NN

Tel: + 44 (020) 7493 2248

Fax: +44 (020) 7493 2470

E:  info@rorc.org

THE ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB:

• Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) celebrates its centenary in 2025. It is best known for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. Both of these prestigious events will be run in 2025
• RORC organises an annual series of offshore races from its base in Cowes. The RORC Season's Points Championship is the world's largest offshore racing series attracting over 7,000 international sailors in a Rolex Fastnet year. The RORC also organises inshore regattas in the Solent
• The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. With the first race in 2009, the Antigua-based RORC Caribbean 600 - the first offshore race in the Caribbean - has been an instant success. The RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first of which was in November 2014. The Roschier Baltic Sea Race, starting and finishing in Helsinki, Finland was established in 2022
• The RORC has 4,000 members, with a majestic clubhouse based in St James' Place, London SW1 and a superb clubhouse on the Isle of Wight at the entrance to Cowes Harbour
• RORC website: www.rorc.org
• @RORCracing

IRC RATING:

• The RORC has also been a leader in yacht rating systems and in co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, YCF Race Pole, created the International Rating Certificate - IRC. IRC is a World Sailing recognised rating system and the principal yacht measurement system for the rating of racing yachts worldwide
• The IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL, YCF Race Pole in Paris, France.
• The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement.
• For IRC rating information in the UK please see: www.rorcrating.com and for IRC rating globally www.ircrating.org
• @RORCrating @IRCrating

THE ROSCHIER BALTIC SEA RACE:

• The inaugural Roschier Baltic Sea Race was held in 2022, with the fleet docked in the historic Port City of Helsinki Finland. Twenty seven boats, with over 213 sailors from 18 different nations started the first chapter of the 635-nautical mile race in the Baltic Sea
• The race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), together with the Ocean Racing Alliance (ORA), is supported by the City of Helsinki, the Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK), Finnish Ocean Racing Association (FORA), Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK), FINIRC and the Xtra Stærk Ocean Racing Society
• The 2024 edition starts on Saturday 27 July 2024 from Helsinki, Finland

ROSCHIER:

• Roschier is a leading law firm in the Nordic region with offices in Helsinki and Stockholm. The firm is well-known for its excellent track record of advising on demanding international business law assignments and large-scale transactions. The firm's clients include leading domestic and international corporations, financial service and insurance institutions, investors, growth and other private companies with international operations, as well as governmental authorities
• With some 300 lawyers and practitioners in Finland and Sweden, and a vast network of established relationships with leading law firms, Roschier is internationally recognized as top tier in all of its core practice areas
• www.roschier.com

THE OCEAN RACING ALLIANCE (ORA):

• The Ocean Racing Alliance (ORA) is a Finnish-based sailing club whose target is to organise world class offshore races  
• ORA's mission is to create international alliances to make it possible to have longer world class offshore races in Baltic Sea
• In 2021 ORA was the main club responsible for organising the RORC Baltic 600 pilot race

RORC Contact: +44 (0) 20 7493 2248 | racing@rorc.org | www.rorc.org