First racing day at the Norwegian Championship

written by Matias Collins  on  May 3  of  2025 and read by 239

In the gust NOR 116 (GRE) Georgios Nikoltsis, Andre Ugland and Alf Larsen
@Ida Soyland Ring

After a successful Worlds in 2024, the Norwegian fleet continues in the good path, now organizing their Nationals in a completely different location Grimstad, a Southeast location in the Norwegian peninsula not too far from Arendal the place where 2007 Euro were organized or Sandfjord (Tonsberg) where the 1999 one and possibly the future 2026 Europeans.

Five are the local teams to host the Norwegian travelers coming from close and far like Tvedestrand, Vågsbygd, Tønsberg, Drøbaksund up north in the east coast and Bergen on the west coast.

Previously to the event a group of sailors decided to hold a Soling clinic, coached by the German Roman Koch recently third place at the US Championship and former World Champion, up to 5 teams in the water for the clinic, one of the most crowded done by Roman. Held with good winds at the second session on April 27 and light winds and the finest weather on the first session on April 26.

The first Saturday at the Norwegian Championship the weahter was the protagonist, forcing a bunch of boat to retire or not start a race, it was gusty including from 8 to 22 knots of wind, rain, hail and Sun (unbelievable): "-a typical Norwegian's day in May" said Herman H.J. The first race was held close to open seas, but then it was moved inshore for the next three races due to the condition, from movies you can imagine that, some of the incidents were NOR 122 had strands of its shrouds broken, and in NOR 126 a crew member had an injury at the shoulder and had to be checked at the hospital, nothing serious but it added some spice to the competition.

The young team NOR 156 (Anders Ostre Pedersen, Kjell Inge Heiberg and Alex Ringstad) had the best for the exhausting day after 4 races with a bullet at the first and 4th race and a second and third places. The legend NOR 157 (Terje wang, Odd Godager and Svein Sorensen) close following after obtaining a bullet in the 2^nd race and the following finishes (4,1,2,2). The last Olympian and Bronze medalist sailing NOR 124 (Herman H. Johanssen, Christian H. Johanssen and Fabian Spone) not far behind with regular finishes of (2,3,5,3). The surprise was the newcomer into the class NOR 141 (August Austfjord, Orjan Flo and Daniel Flo Fjaere) who started slow kept improving to obtain a bullet on race no.3 finishes (9,6,1,4).

Tomorrow Sunday a new day, and possibly a different weather condition.

Complete Results

The leader NOR 156, leading at the weather mark to the offset
@Ida Soyland Ring

The downwind
@Ida Soyland Ring

The fleet after the start
@Ida Soyland Ring