2015 Volvo Estonia ORC European Championship - Enter now!

by ORC Media on 28 May 2015 Pärnu, the summer capital of Estonia, the Pärnu Yacht Club, the Kalev Yacht Club and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) invites all big boat racers to take part in the Volvo Estonia ORC European Championship 2015 taking place over August 10th - 16th. Pärnu Bay offers contestants can expect a great racing experience, with windy sea breeze conditions, excellent and innovative race courses, well-experienced race officers and highly-rated judges. At the site of the Pärnu Yacht Club welcomes you with the Race Village full of activities, services and an enjoyable entertainment program.

For entries received by this Sunday, May 31st, there will be not only €200-250 discounts on the entry fee, but a chance to win this generous offer: free accommodation provided for the event, plus tickets for four people on the official spectator boat watching the racing during the inshore race days of the regatta. Winners will be announced soon after June 1st.

Strong entries in a growing fleet
Already 49 boats have confirmed entries from eight nations - Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Russia and the host country Estonia - with more expected in the coming weeks. Among these are several notable teams who will be fighting for their European Champion titles in three classes:

In Class A the Tutima team from Germany will be racing their DK46 from Germany, with Kirsten Harmstorf on the helm. This all-girls team clad in their distinctive pink gear is no stranger to major offshore events in the Baltic region. 'I have good memories of Pärnu, as our girls' team (at that time on board our Bashford 41 'TUI') won the last leg of the Baltic Sprint Cup 2007 from Ventspils, Latvia to Pärnu (First to Finish and first in our class). Hopefully this will be a good omen for us in August!' says 'Kirsche' Harmstorf. 'We received a warm welcome from the locals then and we had a real good time in Pärnu. That's why I'm personally looking forward to come back to this nice place.'

The reigning 2014 Class B World Champion Jaak Jõgi may be the favorite in this class in Parnu, racing his Estonian X-41 Forte. But another boat to watch is the re-powered Next 37 Audi Quattro, sailed by Jani Letti from Finland. This custom Maurizio Cossutti-design was just launched a year ago and is already through some performance optimization, fitted now with larger sails on a carbon mast 1.4 meters taller than last year.

And in Class C it will be tough contest among several favorites that include: Mihkel Kosk's team on his Estonian NM38 Sugar 2, who have fitted a new keel to Maurizio Cossutti's design; a brand new Katarina, a 37-foot Cossutti design being built now in Tallinn for Aivar Tuulberg, who was only one point away from earning Bronze medals at the 2014 ORC World Championship in Kiel; and the Swedish Pro4U Sail Racing Team on their modified Beneteau 36.7, led by Patrik Forsgren on the helm, who were Class C silver medalists in Kiel last year. These three teams were also 1-2-3 in the 2013 European Championship in Sandhamn, Sweden: will it be a different order this year in Pärnu?

Warm-up at the Danske Bank Open Estonian Championship
For the serious European Championship competitor who wants to learn the waters of Parnu, or simply spend a few more days in Estonia's summer capital, consider entering the Danske Bank Open Estonian Championship, held at Pärnu YC over August 5-8th. The Notice of Race, entry information and registration can be found here

There is fun ashore too: the Pärnu YC Race Village
Pärnu YC will build a special Race Village on the site of the event, where all regatta activities will be held. A large tent will be the site of social activities, meal and beverage catering, a lounge for relaxing, and other features for the sailors and their guests. Special activities for accompanying families and guests will be offered, as will live stream video coverage with commentary on the racing on large screens will be shown in the village as well as in the town square. For those that want to see the racing up close, a large spectator boat will also be available to take the fans out to sea during the inshore races.

The Championship will officially begin in the morning of August 10th with Registration and Measurements, which continues on August 11th. After a Practice Race the organizers invite all to participate in a grand procession from the Parnu YC through the city of Pärnu to the Opening Ceremony in the town square.

Pärnu: the perfect holiday destination
Pärnu is famous for its beaches, where the water is warm and the sand is white. The most popular place for a vacation is Pärnu`s central beach, whose shallow waters make it suitable for families with children. We also take great pride in that the UK`s The Independent chose Pärnu beach as one of the best European beach vacation destination in 2010. Look for more here

Over August 6-8th prior to the ORC European Championship, the Weekend Festival brand brings thousands of visitors and the biggest party in Northern Europe to the Baltics. Originally situated in Finland, the Weekend Festival features the hottest contemporary music superstars as well as massive visuals and stage production unlike ever before seen in the Baltic region. There are Hardwell, David Guetta, Example + DJ Wire, Felix Jaehn, Robin Schulz, Super 8 and Tab, Darude, Tungevaag & Raaban, The Second Level on the festival list. Read more at website

For more information about teams, format, schedule and racing details at the 2015 Volvo Estonia ORC European Championship, visit the event website

And for more information on ORC and other ORC rules, classes and events, click here