BIG Wind at 2020 Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup
August 25, 2020
Last weekend, the sailing prowess of the 12mR Baltic fleet was on display at the 2020 Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup Regatta hosted by Flensburger Segelklub in Glucksburg, Germany. Remarkably, despite extreme weather conditions, there were no reported instances of crew injuries, breakdowns or any resulting damage to the 12mR yachts. These Vintage 12s, many more than 80 years old, were clearly built to last! However, the enduring legacy of these iconic racing yachts is only made possible by the guardians who restore and maintain them in the top form needed to face heavy weather as evidenced in the photos below.
Three races were run on Day 1 but only one race could be completed on Day 2 due the building breeze. On Day 3, all racing was cancelled thanks to 30+ knots of wind. Day 4’s forecast was also for strong wind, but eager to go sailing and confident in their yachts and crews, the fleet headed out for an early start. During Race 1, the wind was a stable, sailable 14-15 knots at the top mark, but when a front pushed through bringing 32-38 knots of fresh air– racing had to be abandoned for the day.
In Division D (Vintage), Patrick Howaldt & Andrea Proto’s Vim (US-15) prevailed. Johan Blach Petersen’s Kiwi Magic (KZ-7) took first place in Division A (Grand Prix) and topped the Baltic Handicap scoreboard. View full results here and more photos here.
Thank you to Katrin Storsberg for sharing these impressive captures:
Click on any thumbnail to view full-size image
