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3 June 2005, 02:27 pm

Dragons, Swans And Fine Sailing

Rolex Baltic Week 2005

Neustadt, Germany

Last year's premiere saw Mediterranean-like conditions and made the organizers look back with delight over a successful first ever Rolex Baltic Week. Some hundred yachts took part in the five different regattas off Neustadt in Holstein on the Bay of Lübeck in Germany.

For the second edition of the event at the end of August this year, more than twice as many entries are expected. The International Dragon Class alone is hoping to attract more than a hundred boats to take part in the Hanseatic Lloyd Dragon World Championships as part of the Rolex Baltic Week and the parallel event of the Dragon World Week for all those who failed to qualify for the Worlds. The elegant 'monsters', ranging from classic wood to high-tech regatta dragon, have been attracting even Olympic sailors and professionals for a number of years now. The former Olympic class is renowned for fierce competition. The entry lists therefore read like a who's who of prominent sailors, interspersed with a selection of various royal European yachtsmen.

The IMS 600 World Championship fleet will boast an equally high level. After only a few years the class found itself a favourite with offshore sailors who prefer racing against different type of yachts but without a handicap system needed. Winning a race is simply on elapsed instead of calculated time. The IMS 600 Worlds will not only feature tight coastal races, but also an overnight long distance race. Depending on the wind's direction, it may even take them through the western part of the Baltic Sea into Danish waters.

Neustadt will also host the second edition of the Swan Race presented by Deutsche Bank. The German Open of the X-79 class are also expecting a large fleet. These one-design regatta boats are especially popular in the north of Europe. Their championships are always marked by extremely tight finishes.

On top of all the fun inherent in racing, the Rolex Baltic Week will feature a special form of entertainment on the water. The Fun Cup presented by Mercedes-Benz Hamburg will be a long-distance race of a fleet of the most different boats. They will start in Le-Mans-Style according to their handicap, so the slowest boat will start first and the fastest yacht last. The first boat to cross the finish line will be the winner.