SW100 L'Ondine triumphs in the Round Gotland Race
by Southern Wind Yachts 12 Jul 2021 12:28 BST
SW100 L'Ondine © Southern Wind Yachts
An iconic 100-footer built by Southern Wind in 2009, L'Ondine has placed first in a fleet of ninety-three boats to win the classic offshore race in the Baltic Sea, the Gotland Runt.
Starting in the center of Stockholm, the fleet sailed through the Stockholm Archipelago, round the island of Gotland to the finish at Sandhamn. The 355 Nm course was first sailed 1937 and is considered to be the largest annual offshore race in the world.
Passing the finishing line after 35 hours of thrilling sailing, with an average speed above 11 knots, L'Ondine placed first in the SRS class and more than three hours ahead of the second place finisher on corrected time.
L'Ondine's owner Martin Bjäringer, when receiving the trophy could not hold back his enthusiasm, telling us: "Thirty-four years after competing in this race on the first L'Ondine, I am so proud to be back with our third L'Ondine and to accept this prize. My special thanks to the great group of friends and crew that joined me on the race and played their magic to make L'Ondine do what she was built to do!"
Southern Wind's Deputy Commercial Manager Jeremy Peek was part of the racing crew and added: " This has been an incredible experience, the sailing conditions were near perfect and we combined great sailing with lots of laughs and a brilliant collection of sailors. Short tacking a 100-footer through the Stockholm Archipelago was no easy task and we are delighted with the results."
We wish to congratulate L'Ondine's owners and crew for this great achievement!
L'Ondine is not the only Southern Wind enjoying the northern latitudes this summer, confirming once again the Bluewater and wanderlust spirit of our owners.
The SW102 Hevea, now in Brittany is on her way to Stockholm where she plans to arrive by mid-August after visiting Norway and Denmark. The SW102 Farfalla has been cruising the west coast of Scotland this summer and taking in the spectacular scenery.