Familiar names as Bergen race yachts arrive in Lerwick
UP TO 44 yachts left Bergen on Wednesday on the 2008 Bergen to Shetland yacht race.
The start time at Bergen was 1pm (local time) and the race was 194 miles straight across to Lerwick. The winning yacht was Wolfies Toy, a two-man Belgian yacht which arrived at 11.40am yesterday, taking just under 24 hours.
Twenty-seven yachts were entered into the fully-crewed class and 17 yachts were entered in the double-handed class. Among these were six “minitransat” yachts – at 6.5 metres long, they are small fast yachts with two crew members.
Included in the double-handed class were the entrants in the 1,000 mile yacht race that started in the Netherlands on 8th June. Ten yachts started from Scheveningen in the second annual 1,000 mile race. The first leg of their race was to Newcastle where two yachts retired. Eight yachts competed on the second leg to Bergen.
These remaining yachts – from the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway – were to join the Bergen-Shetland Races as competitors and then complete their own race back to Newcastle. The 1,000 mile race has provided some interesting results over the first two legs with familiar names such as Dick Koopmans and the Jager in contention.
Now in its 22nd year, the Bergen-Shetland yacht race is an established part of the midsummer calendar at Lerwick. Again this year, the Flavour of Shetland event on Victoria Pier complements the race weekend. The half-way prize giving ceremony will take place there early this evening.
The return leg of the race starts from Lerwick at 11am on Sunday.
