History

The BALTIC SPRINT CUP is a significant  annual international offshore regatta created to promote friendly links between sailing people in the Baltic rim countries. By the summer of 2009 five events had taken place, visited 21 ports in 9 European countries with 197 starters with 1.501 crew members and raced over a total of 4.076 miles. Yachts of 14 different nations had taken part. the farest came from the British Virgin Islands and won the event in the racer division in 2008. Principal language for race organization is English and an ISAF international jury is appointed.

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Backing the first BALTIC SPRINT CUP in 2005 was NORD/LB, Hanover with the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg. From a great send-off at Sandhamn, Sweden celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club the fleet sailed seven legs over 1,200 miles calling at Helskinki, Tallinn, Riga, Klaipėda, Gdańsk, Copenhagen and Rostock/Warnemünde.

The 2006, 2007 and 2008 BALTIC SPRINT CUPS under the aegis of SAIL & RACE Hamburg & London, were supported by Bank DnB NORD. The 100th anniversary of Stavanger Seilforening gave the 2006 event a memorable start in Norway, to Gothenburg, Aarhus, Copenhagen and another superb finale at Rostock/ Warnemünde. The 2007 series began in Copenhagen and sailed via Sassnitz, Gdańsk, Klaipėda and Ventspils to a “Final Show Down” at Estonia’s “summer capital” Pärnu, in the Gulf of Riga.  2008 started for the first time in Germany on the first day of the prestigious Travemünde Week with a record BSC fleet of 61 entries.  After a very stormy downwind run to World Heritage City Karlskrona the fleet proceeded to Klaipėda, Gdynia, Gdańsk and finally Rønne for another “Final Show Down”.

Due to the global economic crisis it was with much regret that Bank DnB NORD was forced to end their long-standing and highly successful sponsorship of the Baltic Sprint Cup.

By the support of some companies who where allready involved in the last events, SAIL & RACE followed up with the 5th edition of the Baltic Sprint Cup in summer 2009 in order to keep the event running.

Weather conditions varied over the first five editions from summer thermals to a storm-force depression in 2007 causing one of the legs to be postponed and slightly shortened: in 2008 averages of 10 knots  and more in some legs were not uncommon.

Proof of the success of the Baltic Sprint Cup has been demonstrated again and again by the enthusiasm and positive reactions of participants and their new friends at every one of the stopover ports.

Please find more about the event in the right column and also in the printed brochure (2005-2008) “Never Accept the Status Quo” which may be downloaded as a pdf-file here ...