History
The BALTIC SPRINT CUP is a significant new annual international offshore regatta created to promote friendly links between sailing people in the Baltic rim countries. By summer 2007 three events had taken place, visited 14 ports in 9 European countries with 103 starters and raced over a total of 2,400 miles. 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 Norddeutsche Landesbank, Hanover with the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg. From a great send-off from 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 and 2007 BALTIC SPRINT CUPS under the aegis of the Baltic Sprint Cup Committee, Copenhagen, were supported by Bank DnB NORD, using their strategically-located company HQ in the port of Copenhagen as a base. 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.
Weather conditions varied over the first three editions from summer thermals to a storm-force depression in 2007 causing one of the legs to be postponed and slightly shortened: in this year also averages of 10 knots in some legs were not uncommon.
Proof of the success of the events in achieving their purpose has been demonstrated by the great enthusiasm and positive reactions of participants and their new friends at every one of the stopover ports.
The event is run by the sailing event management company SAIL & RACE with the guidance and support of Sven Herlyn, sailor, initiator of the BALTIC SPRINT CUP, CEO of Bank DnB NORD and chairman of the Baltic Sprint Cup Committee, Copenhagen.
