Ten crews came through Rund Bornholm

It was a long and especially many nights for the crews at the traditional long-distance regatta Around Bornholm to Warnemünder WocheMany teams abandoned the race, but ten made it through. The first yacht to cross the finish line was Otto Timm's "Ospa" after 1:15:53,06 days. Wladyslaw Chmielewski showed the greatest stamina on his "Bindi". The Pole sailed solo for 3:22:16:50 days, weathering the risk of thunderstorms in the harbor of Rönne on Bornholm in the meantime, before finally reaching Warnemünde after long periods of calm. The trophies for the winners based on calculated time will be awarded on Friday evening to the teams of the "Ember Sea" of Jochen Bunk (Rostock) in the Yardstick classification and to the "Maiko" of John Victorin (Rostock) in the ORC classification.

Radio, telephone, computer: Over the past four days, the technical equipment has been running hot for Seebahn race director Laura Kühlewind and her team. After the fleet of 26 crews was sent on course towards Bornholm on Monday afternoon, it was clear that it would be a long race. During the night, a vast calm spread over the regatta field between Warnemünde and Bornholm. Even after that, progress was slow. The light races of the VO60 type, the yachts "Ospa" and "Illbruck", and also the Brenta 55 "Ember Sea" were able to use the light breeze to arrive in Warnemünde at dawn on the second day of racing. But for many of the fleet, it turned into a long trip across the Baltic Sea.

Too long for many. The first docked in the port of Warnemünde just a few hours after setting off - knowing that their professional commitments would put a stop to their plans to sail around Bornholm. Others were running out of time because the charter contracts for the yacht were expiring.

The race management received many messages from crews who sailed into the harbor early. The race was watched with concern by those who were determined to finish the traditional race. There was a threat of thunderstorms over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday and Thursday, so the line was kept in touch not only with the sailors, but also with the weather service, with an additional look at the weather map and the AIS tracker with the positions of the yachts.

When the "Bindi" crossed the finish line, all the ships were back on dry land. While the solo sailor needed some sleep, other crews were already rested. The "Ember Sea" had arrived around two days earlier, and Jens Burmeister from the crew reported that the experiences had already been processed well: "After docking, the boat was briefly cleared up, then we had a beer and reviewed the race once again."

The first night on the "Ember Sea," says Burmeister, was also exhausting and nerve-wracking. "For one or two hours, nothing worked. We stood still or just drifted. Otherwise, we just had to keep an eye out for wind and somehow keep the boat going." The crew struggled from gust to gust, staying close to the larger yachts for a long time.

Up to Bornholm, the "Illbruck" and the "Ember Sea" were only a few miles apart. On the way back to Warnemünde, the former ocean racers were able to exploit their size and speed away. But that wasn't enough for the fastest yachts to win by calculation. The "Ember Sea" took this victory among the seven boats according to the Yardstick ranking, even though things got tight again towards the end with a calm off Warnemünde.

But the tension in the race was also offset by moments of happiness: "It never really got dark at night. And the sunrise on the first morning was great. Something like that makes up for the exhausting moments and motivates you to keep sailing."

With this first place in the Bornholm race and the victory in the Mecklenburg Seaside Regatta, the "Ember Sea" is a hot contender for the WIRO XXL Cup, the combined ranking of the three sea course regattas. The final event is the Gedser Race, which starts on Saturday at 10 a.m.

In the ORC ranking for the Warnemünde Week Cup, John Victorin's "Maiko" crew is doing well. They came second in the Bäderregatta and were the clear winners in the double-ranked long-distance race Around Bornholm.