| Germany. HSH Nordbank blue race: Twenty yachts to participate in Atlantic Ocean adventure |
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| Monday, 18 September 2006 | |
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Mareike Guhr: Nearly 20 yachts have already announced their participation in the HSH Nordbank blue race. The challenging offshore regatta will lead the sailors from New York to Hamburg in June 2007. The crews are now preparing for the demanding race across the Northern Atlantic. Some of the German participants already left Europe to reach the start in Newport by sails. The 16th June 2007 will mark the start of the "HSH Nordbank blue race" in front of the New York Yacht Club in Newport. The course of 3600 nautical miles will take the sailors along the ice-boarder and around the north of Great Britain until they finally reach Hamburg. The major of Hamburg, Ole von Beust took the patronage of this great regatta project. The race, which is organised by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) and supported by the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) will attract many sailors, as it did in 2003, when 63 yachts started in the transatlantic race to Hamburg. "We are happy about the strong interest in the HSH Nordbank blue race and we hope to have a fleet of 50 yachts", said Torben Knappe from the organising NRV Marketing GmbH. "We expect an international event as we have many the requests from potential competitors from USA, Great Britain and other surrounding countries", adds Knappe. Up to four weeks with cold stormy breezes and enormous waves on the Northern Atlantic are expecting the competitor's during the race. At the end of the challenging trip, just like in 2003, the city of Hamburg and the citizens welcome and celebrate the sailors. Until then a lot of preparation has to be done. Already the transfer or trip to Newport/Rode Island could turn into an adventure. Many of the yachts will leave via cargo ship towards the US in Mai. But other crews decided to sail their yachts by themselves - taking the opportunity to make a cruise until they arrive in New Port in Spring 2007. "Lotta" had a big farewell the beginning of September at the peer of the Kieler Yacht Club in Germany - when the Luffe 48 and her crew left for a ten months journey. "Atlantic Square" is the name of the sailing project which will be crowned in June 2007 with the HSH Nordbank blue race. The Flensburger Segel Club and the Kieler Yacht Club teamed up to make this project possible - and the name of the yacht, being sailed by young sailors in the transatlantic race will be "HSH Nordbank". Ulrich W. Ellerbeck, member of the board of the HSH Nordbank, explains the idea of this project: "The HSH Nordbank not only wants to be title sponsor of the event but also wants to support young sailors and enable them to experience the fascination of the Atlantic. For further information: www.fsc.kyc.de The "Passage", a previous Whitbread-Racer skippered by Steffen Blunck also just left Germany to cover the distance to Newport on it's own keel. The journey is a good training for this team as there will be well known events in the Caribbean during winter time such as Antigua Sailing Week or Heineken Regatta at St. Maarten. So there will be several opportunities for practice in tropical waters for the 56-footer, which will be sailed by a charter crew during the HSH Nordbank blue race: The journey of the brand new "Bank von Bremen" until finally arriving in New Port looks similar. The new flagship of the Club "Wappen von Bremen" headed off for warmer waters and will be sailed by changing crews throughout the winter. Their project, "Atlantik Rund", includes stopovers in South Africa and South America as well, before going to New York and on to Newport for the start of the HSH Nordbank blue race. The "Bank von Bremen" will be sailed by changing crews until arriving in Newport to compete in the long distance race in June 2007. The HSH Nordbank blue race from Newport/Rhode Island, to Hamburg is due to set off on 16th June 2007. The race is organised by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV), with the support of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). Covering about 3600 nautical miles across the Atlantic, the route passes the United Kingdom to the north and then heads to Hamburg. The race is open to all monohull offshore yachts at least 40 feet in length. For photos, entry lists and more information see: www.hsh-nordbank-blue-race.com |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 18 September 2006 ) |
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