The second Roschier Baltic Sea Race got off to a spectacular start in Helsinki, Finland © Pepe Korteniemi /pepe@photex.fi

Saturday 27 July: Helsinki, Finland: The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race started on time with all classes making a clean start. 12-14 knots of southerly breeze and brilliant sunshine produced a fantastic spectacle just two miles offshore from the City of Helsinki. Dozens of spectator boats came out to watch the start wishing competitors from 20 nations fair winds in the 630-mile race.

IRC TWO:

The IRC Two fleet had the honour of the first of three starts. Linnea Floser’s First 36.7 Team Pro4U (SWE), crewed by a youth team from the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, got a cracking start, just crossing clear ahead of Arttu Hult’s Inferno 31 Inferna (FIN). Also getting away at full pace was Perttu Monthan’s JPK 1030 Tenet (FIN) and Thor Karlsen’s First 40.7 Lykke (NOR)

IRC ONE:

The IRC One start was highly competitive, but the stand-out boats that were first over the line were Kaj-Erik Relander’s X4 Lulu (FIN) at the pin end. Towards the Committee Boat end of the line Dirk Clasen Humphreys 39 Gingko (GER) and Per Roman’s JPK 1180 Garm (SWE) had a flying start.

IRC ZERO:

In the final start of the day for the big guns in IRC Zero, Arto Linnervuo’s Infiniti 52 Tulikettu Redkik Racing (FIN) hit the line on the B of the Bang, nailing the start a boat length ahead of Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 50 Privateer (USA). Birgitta Elfversson’s Ker 40 Swee (SWE) got a great start to windward of Tulikettu Redkik. Down to leeward, Christian Zugel’s Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA) was just a boat length of the pace but as soon as the keel was fully canted, Tschüss 2 went like a train pulling away from her rivals. Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 52 Rán (SWE) was caught in traffic at the Committee Boat end.

Three hours into the race, Tschüss 2 leads on the water from Pascal Oddo’s magnificent Swan 88 Spiip. Privateer is in a duel with Rán for third on the water. Excellent news for the IRC lower-rating team on Privateer, but also a stunning recovery from Rán after being buried at the start.

The race is on to reach the Almagrundet Lighthouse off the Stockholm archipelago. The early overall leader under IRC is Team Pro4U (SWE), which also leads IRC Two. Garm (SWE) leads IRC One and Tschüss 2 (USA) leads the big boat IRC Zero Class.