Nord Stream Race: Girl Power inspires Swedes to victory
by Nord Stream Race 28 Jun 2019 15:02 BST
23 June - 5 July 2019
Sandra Sandqvist and Cecilia Jansson celebrating their victory in the Nord Stream Race © NSR / Andrey Sheremetev
The Swedish Team was first to cross the finish line on the second leg of the Nord Stream Race. There were two powerful women behind the victory: Sandra Sandqvist and Cecilia Jansson.
The skipper of the Swedish Team Christian Harding - also skipper last year - decided to go for a young crew, including women, on board this year. "For me Nord Stream Race is something of a light version of the Volvo Ocean Race but sailed in the Baltic Sea. It is sailed on a very high level. I am grateful that the idea of sailing with a younger mixed crew, and that this race is to be seen as an important part of the education and team building for young people."
Sandra Sandqvist and Cecilia Jansson have proved that this idea was awesome and that even high demands on board are no problem: "Leg 2 was a nerv-wrecker, plenty of wind holes and "restarts". But once we headed north we got really stoked to go for a sauna in Sandhamn and found an extra gear and managed to pull away", reported Sandra Sandqvist on her way from the finish line located by island Godland to Stockholm, Skeppsholmen.
The five teams, who qualified for the Nord Stream Race by winning the Sailing Leagues in their home countries, will be ashore Friday to Sunday in the middle of the city Stockholm. Nord Stream Race connects different sports in Stockholm. During the stopover they will race each other in a series of In Port Races on Saturday - each boat with a sports star in the crew, one of them the skier and Olympic gold winner André Myhrer.
Elena Solovyeva, Head of Projects St. Petersburg Yacht Club was also very happy with the girls power on the leg from Copenhagen to Stockholm: "The Nord Stream Race has so many facets. From the beauty of the Baltic Sea to the very high performance of the teams. So far we see a perfect example of the sailing connecting sports, people and culture. And the sun always shines."
Finishing second after the Swedish boat on the second leg was the German team, followed by the Russian, Danish and the Finnish team. The Swedish crew now holds the overall lead.
Since its inception in 2012, the Nord Stream Race has been organised by the Saint Petersburg Yacht Club with the support of Gazprom and Nord Stream AG. At 1,000 nautical miles and following the route of the Nord Stream Pipeline, this has become established as the most demanding and prestigious offshore race in the Baltic region.
www.nord-stream-race.com