Round Gotland Race
Encyclopedia
The Round Gotland Race is an offshore sailing race in the Baltic Sea
, arranged by the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) at the turn of the month June/July each year with the starting and finishing lines in Sandhamn
in the outskirts of Stockholm
archipelago. The two-days regatta is the most prestigious race in the Baltic Sea and have an average of around 300 participating sailing boats.
The competition is divided into eight different classes, sailing on five different courses. The longest, 653 M
, is sailed by 60-foot trimarans, the shortest 179 M
, for classic boats. The overall victor is appointed in the ORC International class. For the less experienced and family sailors there is the SweLYS/SRS class, which provides the holiday sailors a taste of a real sail-race adventure.
Remark: The straight distance between Revengegrundet east of Sandhamn and Visby (course 193°) is almost exacly 100 M
.
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Gotland Round Race started as a yacht race between Sandhamn and Visby
in the early 1920s, called Visby Yacht Race. It was a popular race between large type R-sailing yachts, arranged by KSSS. The course started in Sandhamn down to Visby. After a break in Visby (for dinner and relaxation) the boats returned next day to the finishing line in Sandhamn, but without sailing round Gotland. The course is about 200 M
. The last Visby Yacht Race was arranged in 1939 when Jacob Wallenberg (1892-1980)
with his R-10 yacht "Refanut", after the victory in series of races, won the last race and was then entitled to keep the Visby Yacht Race trophy forever.
It was not until 1937 that the course for the first time covered a trip around Gotland. The course was 250 M
and the yachts sailed round Gotland counter clockwise (today the race is clockwise), including an extension round a checkpoint north of Öland
.
, has participated several times in the Round Gotland Race, as well as King Harald V of Norway
, who usually participates every year. His crew won his class in 2005.
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, arranged by the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) at the turn of the month June/July each year with the starting and finishing lines in Sandhamn
Sandhamn
Sandhamn is a small settlement in the central-peripheral part of the Stockholm Archipelago in central-eastern Sweden, approximately 50 km east of Stockholm...
in the outskirts of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
archipelago. The two-days regatta is the most prestigious race in the Baltic Sea and have an average of around 300 participating sailing boats.
The competition is divided into eight different classes, sailing on five different courses. The longest, 653 M
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
, is sailed by 60-foot trimarans, the shortest 179 M
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
, for classic boats. The overall victor is appointed in the ORC International class. For the less experienced and family sailors there is the SweLYS/SRS class, which provides the holiday sailors a taste of a real sail-race adventure.
Maps for the other four courses
(Course Delta, see the map at the top of this article.)Remark: The straight distance between Revengegrundet east of Sandhamn and Visby (course 193°) is almost exacly 100 M
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
.
History
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
in the early 1920s, called Visby Yacht Race. It was a popular race between large type R-sailing yachts, arranged by KSSS. The course started in Sandhamn down to Visby. After a break in Visby (for dinner and relaxation) the boats returned next day to the finishing line in Sandhamn, but without sailing round Gotland. The course is about 200 M
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
. The last Visby Yacht Race was arranged in 1939 when Jacob Wallenberg (1892-1980)
Wallenberg family
The Wallenberg family is a prominent Swedish banking family, renowned as bankers, industrialists, politicians, diplomats and philanthropists. The most famous of the Wallenbergs, Raoul Wallenberg, a diplomat, worked in Budapest, Hungary, during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust...
with his R-10 yacht "Refanut", after the victory in series of races, won the last race and was then entitled to keep the Visby Yacht Race trophy forever.
It was not until 1937 that the course for the first time covered a trip around Gotland. The course was 250 M
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
and the yachts sailed round Gotland counter clockwise (today the race is clockwise), including an extension round a checkpoint north of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
.
Participation from the Royal houses in Scandinavia
King Carl XVI Gustaf of SwedenCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
, has participated several times in the Round Gotland Race, as well as King Harald V of Norway
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
, who usually participates every year. His crew won his class in 2005.
Sources
- Round Gotland Race, Official website (http://www.ksss.se/EGR)
- KSSS Yacht Tracking