Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Sailing

ORC World Championship - Slow progress in offshore race

by ORC Media on 6 Aug 2014
2014 ORC World Championship, Day 2 Pavel Nesvadba/Ranchi
The weather predictions of today's first offshore race at the 2014 ORC World Championship have held true, with light 4-8 knot conditions in the Kieler Bucht making it slow going for the fleet of 151 boats from 19 countries. Race managers from Kieler Yacht-Club set a course of 62 miles that traverses the western Baltic in a combination of nine short and long legs oriented more or less in a windward-leeward direction.

But even with a late rain squall that brought 20 knots to the course area, this race had to be shortened for all classes so as to not threaten the 14-hour time limit. The distance shortened for each class has varied depending on how far each class has progressed in the original course.

The start-stop nature of the breeze today and its large swings in direction not only spread out the fleet but has also been testing the crews' sail change and trimming abilities on legs which vary in length from three to 12 miles.

On the strength of a great start and by favoring the shoreline on the first 4-mile beat of the race to the first mark, 2-time ORC World Champion Alberto Rossi and his Italian team on the TP 52 Enfant Terrible have been leading the pack in Class A around the course, chased at the first mark by Thomas Nilsson's Norwegian team on their TP 52 Wolfpack, last year's ORC European Class A champions.

But at the next mark, a spar buoy located at the Kiel Lighthouse, Ole Martin Vordahl's Cookson 50 Camilla from Norway had passed Wolfpack and were on the chase to try and catch the Italians for the elapsed time lead.


But at an average boat speed of only six knots and a weak wind forecast, this average rate of progress may drop even more and thereby prompt the race managers to shorten the course. ORC race guidelines recommend a 10-12 hour duration for the short offshore race, and there is a 14 hour time limit set by the Sailing Instructions, so a shortened course looks likely if the conditions persist, especially for the smaller and slower entries in Classes B and C.

When results become available at either the designated finish at Kiel Lighthouse, or on any shortened course finish mark established by the Race Committee, they will be available here.

And regardless of the outcome, inshore course racing will resume tomorrow in Day Three of the ORC World Championship, with the first start on each course area scheduled for 11:00 local time.

www.orcworlds2014.com!Event_website!ne

Zhik 2024 DecemberRooster 2025Lloyd Stevenson - Catalyst GT 1456x180px BOTTOM

Related Articles

Melges 15 Fittings Guide
A breakdown of the fittings based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat.
Posted today at 7:30 am
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior.
Posted today at 6:40 am
All set in Trieste for the Melges 24 Worlds
Racing set to begin at Yacht Club Adriaco The countdown is nearly over. In just a few hours, the Yacht Club Adriaco will oversee the start of one of the most eagerly awaited international sailing events of the season.
Posted today at 4:41 am
2025 Six Metre World Championship Day 1
Wind gods fail to deliver in Oyster Bay, NY Sadly day one of the 2025 Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (SCYC) proved to be a non-starter as the wind failed to make an appearance.
Posted today at 12:51 am
International One Design World Championship
Northeast Harbor, Maine, hosts IOD fleet The 2025 world championship for the International One-Design class (IOD) was a 6-day series this year, hosted by the Northeast Harbor Fleet (Northeast Harbor, Maine), in early September.
Posted on 22 Sep
52 Super Series Porto Cervo practice race
The loss of the last 'dress rehearsal' is something of a disappointment Although there was just enough breeze to execute a couple of meaningful practice starts, the breeze dropped away and thereafter proved insufficient to allow the planned two short official practice races to be sailed today off Porto Cervo.
Posted on 22 Sep
Materials That Make the Difference
Discover the performance fabrics behind the Henri-Lloyd AW25 collection Discover the performance fabrics behind our AW25 collection. This season, Henri-Lloyd has focused on advanced, responsibly sourced materials designed to thrive in demanding coastal conditions.
Posted on 22 Sep
Teams are go for 2025 Six Metre World Championship
29 boats registered and ready to race Registration is now complete and 29 teams from ten nations are ready to race for the 2025 Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club on Long Island Sound.
Posted on 22 Sep
2025 Dutch Water Week overall
From experiment to future The Dutch Water Week concluded today with the pilot finals of the Sailing Grand Slam (SGS).
Posted on 22 Sep
SDYC win Annual Annapolis YC 3-2-1 Invitational
Three days of fast-paced, multi-format racing on the Chesapeake Bay After three days of fast-paced, multi-format racing on the Chesapeake Bay, San Diego Yacht Club claimed the 2025 Annapolis Yacht Club 3-2-1 Invitational title, bringing the trophy home for the first time.
Posted on 22 Sep