Five teams are slated to compete in a 750-nm race through the Baltic Sea dipping their keels in Russian, Finnish, Swedish, and German waters.
The race is presented by the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg in Russia, and sponsored by Russian energy giant Gazprom. Dubbed the Nord Stream Race, the inaugural race scheduled for Oct. 16 is an invitational event open to Swan 60s. It features a prize of 100,000 Euros for the overall winner.
So far the five teams that have confirmed their participation include: Team Europe sponsored by Nord Stream AG, Team France representing Yacht Club de France, Team Germany, representing Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Team Holland representing the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, and Team Russia representing the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg.
The start will be in Saint Petersburg with the first leg finishing in Helsinki followed by match racing. On Oct. 22 the fleet will depart for Gotland, Sweden, followed by a final leg to Greifswald, Germany. The race is scheduled to end on Oct. 27.
Vladimir Liubomirov, commodore of the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg, commented “We aim to create an internationally renowned long-distance sailing race within the Baltic, bringing together the bordering countries to encourage the growth of international sailing in the area and promote a closer integration with the Baltic Sea countries.”