Ben Lowings observed Scandinavia’s largest cruising regatta in May and offers his insights for YM.
During every Ascension Day holiday in May, cruising yachts in Scandinavia head straight for the Danish town of Skagen. Most participants are production cruisers, creating a communal atmosphere that resembles a cruising rally more than a race.
Except for the two years affected by Covid, the event’s popularity has surged, making it Scandinavia’s largest regatta since 1996. While most boats hail from Norway, organizer Lars-Erik Wilhelmsen is keen to attract British entries. The race’s timing and location make it ideal for UK yachts eager to venture into this gateway to the Baltic.
In 2019, the event saw 276 entrants, necessitating a waiting list since Skagen’s quaint fishing harbor can only hold 250 boats, particularly as the average cruising yacht size increases.
The Skagen race courses are exceptional. Sailors launch from three starting points: Holmestrand, Norway; Marstrand, Sweden; and Hals, Denmark. These paths converge at a sandspit where Danish land dwindles into the Skagerrak strait, directing their bows toward Skagen.
This year, 125 production cruisers participated in the Skagen event. Photo: Mick Anderson
This year, 250 boats took part, with forecasts predicting Force 7 gusts. The seas can rapidly escalate in the presence of westerlies, especially where the Norwegian Trench transitions from 700m to 100m in just about 15 miles.
Yachts began their journey in calm waters but were met with 3m swells in the middle of the night. The event has never been canceled due to weather forecasts. In the 2022 and 2019 races, strong winds allowed only 25 of 276 entrants to finish, with Wilhelmsen noting that ‘windy’ refers to gusts reaching 50 knots.
Skagen is an enchanting port town that even Danes find exotic due to its remoteness from the rest of Denmark. Seasonal tourist events thrive there, attracting Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish sailors. ‘It’s not a large offshore yacht community, but primarily fishermen,’ explains Wilhelmsen.
Scandi Synchrony
While most entrants are Norwegian, there’s a push for greater participation from Swedish and Danish sailors. Sharing a common goal while effectively competing in three separate races—each with its line honors and overall titles—highlights the Scandinavian spirit of unity and synchronicity.
The race unfolded under clear and brisk Scandinavian conditions. Photo: Mick Anderson/Yngve Lønnmo
This year’s conditions were nearly considered borderline. A lifebuoy launched from one yacht sent out a brief distress signal. Later, there was a genuine Man Overboard (MOB) incident when a crew member from a short-handed boat separated from their vessel but was promptly rescued. A radio call for assistance was canceled within thirty minutes. One yacht arriving at Skagen was reported to have bow damage.
Daniel Ingebretsen, sailing double-handed with skipper Yngve Lonmo aboard the 30ft J/92 Jacobine, started in calm winds at Holmestrand, located in the outer Oslofjord. Within a few hours, winds picked up to 30 knots. ‘Conditions were severe,’ Ingebretsen explains, embodying the understated manner typical of Norwegians speaking English.
‘After eight hours, we were the smallest boat in the fleet. Almost half the participants turned back before reaching Skagen.’ They navigated toward Sweden’s west coast, rounded a marker buoy, and then set their course for Skagen. Ingebretsen and Lonmo took turns at the helm every hour or so. ‘It was tough to catch any sleep in between; the swell was significant.
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Rough seas, with rolling waves reaching four meters, storms, fog, and squalls. We had prepared for all possible challenges during our initial Kattegat crossing,…
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Challenging Conditions
‘It was challenging to gauge the wave height from our small boat, but I would estimate it was between 2-3 meters. The skipper remarked he had never felt so cold,’ Ingebretsen recalls. He isn’t one to exaggerate, so you almost shiver as he recounts how nearly every wave washed over the deck, and the water temperature was undeniably frigid. ‘With proper boat maintenance, it’s the crew that typically succumbs first,’ he notes rather coldly.
Smoother seas greeted Daniel Ingebretsen on his return to Norway. Photo: Mick Anderson/Yngve Lønnmo
Ingebretsen shares the event organizer’s opinion that the race presents an intriguing model. These neighboring countries enjoy good relations. Additionally, it’s notable that food and drink prices are high in Norway, and the recent currency divergence has shifted some advantages toward Danes. Eight years ago, Norwegian and Danish currencies were nearly equal.
With the current price differences, Ingebretsen asserts that Skagen is an excellent location for shopping deals. He encourages British boats not to be discouraged by the conditions in Skagen 2024, appealing to them to cruise towards Norway, the North Sea, and the Baltic. Lighthouses are typically unlit this time of year due to the lack of darkness. Regattas run entirely in daylight during the summer months here.
Crew of Jacobine: Daniel Ingebretsen (L) and skipper Yngve Lønnmo. Photo: Oddrun Bø
Furthermore, the skerries along the Norwegian coastline are said to be fictional creations of Douglas Adams’ character Slartibartfast in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. ‘Water temperatures reaching 25°C are not unheard of here,’ Ingebretsen mentions. ‘The saltwater flowing in from the Atlantic is trapped and warmed in the fjords and bays.’
Resistant to the Cold
An Englishman might greet this assertion with some skepticism. While crossing the Skagerrak in a sailing vessel alongside the racing yachts but not competing, I observed these resilient Norwegians seemingly impervious to the cold.
Celebrations led by the crew of Pixeline, the overall winners. Photo: Oddrun Bø
On our way back to Norway, we paused for a refreshing dip. It seemed far too chilly for my liking, yet the hardy Norse jumped in and insisted it was pleasantly warm. After all, how do you say ‘hot’ in Norwegian? ‘Varm’…
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