On June 12 - 16 we were in Tallinn at the Baltic Offshore Week. The regatta started with a training day on Thursday when we were also joined by the Estonian boat Sugar with experienced crew in the afternoon. Together we raced against each other during longer crossings, where we both got to practice crew placement, sail trim and max hang.
On Friday we sailed two races in varying wind conditions. The increasingly light wind did not last all the way, which meant that the third race of the day had to be canceled during the last bilge at the finish.
On Saturday it was time for the offshore race. The course was a bit shorter, about 38 miles long, and stretched to a lighthouse in the Gulf of Finland and then led us back to Tallinn. We started with a long crossing in light wind conditions which we did very well, but the further out from land we got, the lighter the wind became. The beginning of the leg was sailed in still very light winds (almost pale) where many of the gennaker boats unfortunately pulled away. With a few miles left, it finally filled up and we got a nice finish to the race in about 9 knots of wind and an S3 on a steep bow.
The last day of the regatta ended with a full day of course racing. A total of four races were sailed on Sunday in fine and stable wind conditions.
During the weekend, everyone in the team has had to train a lot on both fast and intense maneuvers, longer bows and light winds. It was tough competition and not the most optimal conditions for us as a spinnaker boat. Although we finished just below the podium this time, we are all happy with the rewarding weekend and ready to return to Tallinn for the World Championships next year! Now we have also prepared the boat further for light winds with light wind boots on the spinnaker light wind sheets :).
We would like to thank the organizers at Kalevi Yacht Club and all the competitors who offered tough competition during all days. Final results can be found here.
Now Malin is back in her home port and the team is getting ready for the next training session before heading off to Sandhamn and Gotland Runt, hope to see you there!
