NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup 2005 - Leg 5 finish

It’s getting closer

It was a pretty fast trip from Klaipeda, Lithuania to Gdansk, Poland for the fleet of the NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup. The fifth leg of the race was 110 miles long and the sailors could profit from a good breeze. In the middle of the night, race director Alan Green could note the first finishing time of “Outsider”, the Elliott 45 sailed by Admirals Cup winner Tilmar Hansen from Kiel, Germany, who crossed the line after having sailed only 13 hours. But it was “Inschallah VI” from Volker Andreae which could win leg five in corrected time, making them a very hot aspirant for the overall title in the end. “Emil Reiseschwein” owned by Stefan Hummelt, Buxtehude, Germany scored second and the Estonian Yacht “Ladybird”, sailed by Erki Melts from Pärnu, took third place overall in leg five. Now the sailors try to recover and prepare for the next leg which is the longest of the regatta, measuring 260 miles.

The fight is getting closer in the front group. Who will receive the “Neptune’s” Trophy for the overall winner of the NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup at the final prize giving in Warnemuende? Two legs left for the challengers to give their best.

Volker Andreae and his “Inschallah VI” crew scored another first to underline their ambitions. ”We decided to go out to the right side, and the weather strategy paid of”, Andreae explained. “Our small Gennaker stood for a long time, that gave us another advantage”, he added. „Emil Reiseschwein“ as well as the small J-109 „Brinkmann & Partner“ are placed ahead of him in the overall results for the moment, but after the leg to Copenhagen, two discards will be included, and it looks good for the blue yacht from Hamburg, then. “But I think everything is possible on the leg to Copenhagen and nothing is decided yet”, Andreae said.

The yellow flag for the overall leader will be passed back to “Emil Reiseschwein”, which scored a second place in leg five. „Brinkmann&Partner“ is listed on second position in the overall results of al legs now. And Harald Graf Saurma-Jeltsch/Eckernförde, Germany with his Comfortina 42 „Meltemi“ is placed third for the moment.

The “Ladybird” crew from Estonia could sail to third place in this leg to Poland. Skipper Erki Melts from Pärnu said: “The leg was very hard, but we are happy about the result. We will now try to recover, party a bit and go for it tomorrow – we can do even better!”. The Estonian champions have a place on the podium within reach.

Number twelve on today’s result list was “Tutima”, winner of leg one. “Despite the result it was wonderful sailing, with the kite up, doing 12 knots, surfing”, said Christoph Krautzik from the DK 46-crew.

Tilmar Hansen and his „Outsider“ came „First Ship Home” into Gdansk and raved: “We where doing 13, 14, even 15 knots and it was great fun. Happily we could even leave the 60- and 70 Footers behind. But it still is a bit sad, that in corrected time we do not have any chance with this boat, because of the bad rating”, said the Admirals Cup winner. “But it is very nice to be here in Gdansk and even the approach was very impressing”.

Onboard the race committee vessel, a special reunion took place. Zyga Perlicki, one of the best known polish sailors acts as principal race officer for the NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup stopover in Gdansk. And more than 30 years ago, race director Alan Green from Britain met him within the first Whitbread Race around the world. Perlicki skippered the Polish entry “Kopernikus” and Green was race officer of the world regatta back then. In Gdansk they met again after such a long time.

Preliminary results in leg five of the NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup from Klaipeda/Lithuania to Gdansk/Poland:

1. Inschallah (Volker Andreae, Hamburg, Germany)
2. Emil Reiseschwein (Stefan Hummelt/ Buxtehude, Germany)
3. Ladybird (Erki Melts, Pärnu, Estonia)
4. Vanguard (Philipp Lubinus, Kiel, Germany)
5. Hansa (Dirk Manno, Glücksburg)
6. Josephine (Uwe Lebens, Norderstedt, Germany)

A protest on Hansa is still running

Overall results after five of seven legs in the NORD/LB Baltic Sprint Cup 2005, without discards:

1. Emil Reiseschwein 27pts
2. Meltemi (Harald Graf Saurma-Jeltsch/Eckernförde, Germany, 35pts
3. Brinkmann & Partner (Hans-Jürgen Rieckhoff, Hamburg Germany), 40pts
4. Inschallah; 43pts
5. Schüddelfrost, (Friedrich Böhnert/Hamburg); 43pts
6. Ladybird, 48pts