4 weeks from start 17 teams with participants from 6 nations have entered the competition so far and are preparing for the adventure. They are in for a sailing adventure in the stunning archipelago just outside of the capital of Sweden with lots of sailing each day as well as good food, cold drinks and nice company in the evenings.
Country
F18 Model
Skipper Name
Crew Name
Denmark
Goodall Akurra
Jan Hedmann Jensen
Penelope Wyon
Germany
Cirrus R2
Christian Schütz
Katharina Schütz
Germany
Nacra Evolution
Manuel Wunderle
Fabian Wunderle
Ireland/UK
Goodall C2
Joe Bennett
Declan Caulfield
Netherlands
Goodall Akurra
Ad Noordzij
Arthur Moerman
Netherlands
Cirrus R
Kees Wiersema
Rob Schutte
Sweden
Goodall C2
Anders Mårten
Mikael Sommansson Richter
Sweden
Goodall C2
Edvin Åberg
Theodor Norrby
Sweden
Goodall C2
Erik Blomberg
Rikard Blomberg
Sweden
Scorpion
Fredrik Karlsson
Niklas Nordblom
Sweden
Goodall Akurra
Jacob Lundqvist
Oscar Lundqvist
Sweden
Scorpion
Jakob Palmblad
Oscar Wetterling
Sweden
Goodall C2
Lars Linder
Erik Brunnberg
Sweden
Nacra Evolution
Magnus Bergendahl
Jonas Jonzon
Sweden
Scorpion
Peter Busck
Rasmus Rosengren
Sweden
Goodall C2
Thomas Blomborn
Janne Jakkula
Sweden
Hobie Wildcat
Wouter Faber
Clemens Fleige
It is still possible to join the raid as some places are available. A C2s is also available for hire, a rare opportunity for teams who want to join without bringing their own boat to Sweden. Contact the race organisation for enquiries.
With two and a half months until start 18 teams have already signed up. They come from Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland. Still plenty of time to sign up for the big adventure, but the early bird entry fee offering ends by the end of this week (15th of June).
It can already be said that the level of competition is going to be high. The top three teams from 2024 (all Swedes) are all back and they will face fierce competition this year. For example from
Germany the Wunderle brothers Manuel and Fabian with multiple german national F18 titles. under their belt.
France brothers Emeric and Félix Dary winners of the eurocat and 11th at the Worlds in 2023 and french champions 2022.
The Netherlands Ad Noordzij and Arthur Moerman winners of the Martinique Cataraid earlier this year.
In the Mixed class 3 raid experienced teams have signed up to date.
The former raid champions Jan Jensen and Penny Wyon (DEN)
Christian Schütz, who sailed the raid 5 times before and completed the Worrel 1000 earlier this spring, now sailing with his daughter Katharina.
Thomas and Pippi Windrike (SWE), former winners of the mixed class.
The youth team Edwin Åberg and Theodor Norrby (SWE) are back, now with a top notch C2. They have an amazing learning curve and are totally fearless. They can definatly challenge the best Swedish and international teams about a place on the podium if the winds play in their favour.
As mentioned in a previous post we are also happy to welcome back the legendary sailors Anders Lewander, a raid veteran and winner of the Archipelago Raid 2003, again sailing with Hanse Thorslund. Together they sailed the raid many times and now look forward to the adventure and to hang loose in the wire once again.
The world record holder of sailing a boat backwards (from Åland to Sweden!) Mikael Sommansson Richter, is back and said he promise to sail his F18 with the bows in the front and rudders in the back. It might not be enough for the podium, but should improve his chances of getting around the course.
There is still place for more teams to join the big adventure. Sign up this week to enjoy the best price.
One of the teams who has signed up for 2024 is the winner of one of the first editions of the original Archipelago Raid back in 2003. Back then Atlant Ocean Racing had just created the concept and ran the extreme raid to Åland and back for the third time. Anders Lewander, one of the most well known sailors in Sweden, participated 6 times before 2010 which probably makes him the person who participated more than anyone else in the original version. The last three times he sailed with Hanse Thorslund, another well known Swedish sailor.
It is with great pleasure we welcome this legendary team back to the raid. I asked them about their previous experience and why they are coming back, 15 years after the last time.
1) How many times did you participate in the old ”Archipelago Raid” and when was the last time? Anders: I did the raid 6 times, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009 Hanse: I participated 3 times, in 2005, 2006 and 2009
2) what is the strongest memory you have from that? Hanse: Shortcut sailing into Kökar in Finland on very shallow and rocky waters. 😅 Anders; The final leg 2003 from Ornö to Gustavsberg with a hard hard workout before winning the 2003 edition with Calle Hennix. And YES Hanse, all the crazy Åland experiences!
3) What do look forward to in your participation this year? Hanse; The raid atmosphere, hanging on the wire and fun racing in our beutiful Stockholm archipelago. Anders; Living the dream – a deep bowing to the unique Archipelago experience- the enormous friendship and the “offroad” play tool, the F18 going wild!
Well, what can we say more than a huge welcome back. May the force be with you!
/Lars Linder
Photo cred from the 2006 edition to Thierry Martinez
6 days after opening the event in 2024 for sign-up 12 teams from 3 countries had signed-up already. As usual there is a limit of 30 team for logistical and safety reasons. Don’t wait to long to secure your place!
Ida Svensson and Therese Antman competed in 2016. They think more women should try the raid. We could not agree more.
Many women have competed since Dame Ellen MacArthur participated in 2003, 2006 and 2008. Carolijn Brouwer, olympic sailor known from Volvo Ocean Race, also participated several times both with and without her husband Darren Bundock. From Sweden the current Nacra 17 sailor Ida Svensson sailed several times. But also a long range of good female club sailors from Denmark, the Netherlands, South Africa, France, Austria, The UK and Sweden have participated proving that it is not only Pro sailors who can make it.
Sign up for the 2024 edition is open. Sign up here to secure your place, maximum 30 teams.
The concept will be similar to many of the past years with four full days of sailing in the inner our outer archipelago depending on the weather forecast and sea conditions. Each day the fleet will finish close to a base camp offering a sauna, a good dinner and a bed under a roof. Start and finish takes place in Saltsjöbaden and the course will take the fleet through the Central and Northern parts of the Stockholm Archipelago with base camps on the islands of Sandhamn/Lökholmen, Lidö (last time in 2006) and Nässlingen. Weather permitting the raid might round the remote iconic islands of Arholma and Söderarm further North than any raid in the past 15 years.
For the 25th anniversary in 2025 the plan is to do a more physically demanding 5 day raid in the spirit of the original Archipelago Raid. The venue will be Åland and/or Stockholm Archipelagos and it will be a more physically demanding raid possibly allowing some paddling, sleeping in tents and a maximum 25 teams for safety and logistical reasons.
Very welcome to the Stockholm Archipelago Raid 2024.
Stockholm Archipelago Raid is happy to announce a new partnership with Seapax, the leading Swedish maritime safety company since 2005.
– The Stockholm Archipelago Raid is well known to be one of the most challenging catamaran races in the world and sea safety is essential. It is a great match with our brand and we are proud to be partners and happy to be able to offer the best safety equipment on the market for special prices for the participants and the safety organisation, says Seapax CEO Christina Frii.
– Seapax is a prominent supplier of sea safety equipment that supplies the Swedish Sea Rescue SSRS among others. Part of their product line is essential for raid participants. We are very happy about the partnership since safety is paramount for the event organisation, says Lars Linder Project Manager of the Stockholm Archipelago Raid.
All participants are offered a general discount valid in the webbshop and in Seapax store on Rålambshovsleden 42. Archipelago Raid – Seapax .
Free of charge delivery to KSSS in Saltsjöbaden will be arranged for foreign teams that wish to order equipment just in time for the start.
From Tuesday the 2nd of April teams can sign up for the 2024 edition starting on the 22nd of August. Maximum 30 teams will .
Tha Stockholm Archipelago Raid will be a 4 day adventure starting from the KSSS club at Saltsjöbaden. There are three base camps; Lökholmen/Sandhamn day 1, Lidö day 2 and Nässlingen day 3. Lökholmen and Nässlingen are old favorites visited many times before. But the last stop over at Lidö was in 2005 when Ellen McArtur left the British Telecom striped sails up all night Saving valuable time in the early morning hour. Lidö is under new management since a couple of years and the restaurant has gained good reputation. It will be nice to be back!
Teams who like the concept of 4 days of intense sailing, good food, sauna and a real bed to tuck in to for a good nights sleep should definitely join this year. For the 25th edition the plan is a more extreme 5 day version in the Åland archipelago.
The dates for the 2024 edition of the raid in the Stockholm Archipelago are set to 22nd to 25th of August. It will be a raid with 4 full days of sailing and start and finish in Saltsjöbaden close to Stockholm. The course will go through the Central and Northern parts of the Stockholm Archipelago with base camps on the islands of Sandhamn/Lökholmen, Lidö (last time in 2005) and Nässlingen.
An extra effort will be made to get more top female and youth sailors to join. Maximum 30 boats with the aim to have women and/or youth sailors onboard at least 10 of these boats.
Jay and Lucy (AUS) 2018
For the 25th anniversary in August 2025 the plan is to do a 5 day raid in the spirit of the original Archipelago Raid. The venue will be Åland and/or Stockholm Archipelagos and it will be a more physically demanding raid with more sailing per day, maybe some paddling allowed, possibly sleeping in tents to allow more flexibility. Maximum 25 teams for safety and logistical reasons. Less experienced F18 sailors are recommended to do the 2024 edition as a qualifier.
The first two days offered light winds between almost nothing to 15+ knots in the peaks. Therefore, all legs day 1 and 2 were basically the shortest way to the next stop in order to finish the race in time for lunch break or sauna and dinner. As always there were some route options and in race 1 the team Dahl/Bodén was way ahead of the rest of the fleet but got stuck in a lull and was passed by the entire fleet who sailed another way and caught the gusts of some rain clouds.
The wind picked up significantly during the second race offering some double trapeze tacking the last stretch to Base Camp 1 at Rånö. One boat lost the mast but was towed to Rånö and managed to repair during the evening.
Day 2
The conditions day two were also light with long upwind legs on starboard tack. The tactical complication was whether am easterly shift would come or not and if so how big it would be. It did come and Linder/Brunnberg who were betting on the shift to come were rewarded with a lift that got them first to the finish at the spectacular Huvudskär bay. The downwind start of leg 2 immediately split the fleet in two, some going a shorter way in between the islands and others a longer way but more open. One team, Bergmann/Pixell, unfortunately hit a underwater rock and damaged one hull and had to be towed to the finish in Sandhamn. A great dinner was served at the classic Sandhamns Värdshus before teams retired to navigational planning and their bunks to be ready for an early start day 3.
Day 3
Finally more wind, an unusual easterly breeze of about 12-18 knots was already on when the first warning signal sounded at 7 o’clock in the Sandham harbour. The teams set out to sea passing Björskär and Nassa and from there sending it in double trapeze pointing high while avoiding some nasty rocks on the way to the light house Morsken. A final upwind to the finish at Rödlöga where the remaining summer guests came out to watch as the catamarans filled the bay. They greeted the sailors by opening the café, offering coffee, hot dogs and pastries. Very popular.
After lunch the breeze was up even more. The course of leg 6 back to Sandhamn started with a long gennaker run pointing high for 15 minutes, then classic gybing passing the middle archipelago of Finnhamn with more trees on the islands. From there upwind out on the open sea again bearing off and hoisting gennaker. The waves had now been building all day and came from two directions making this difficult and very wet. The last team went missing and did not answer any calls forcing the safety boat out for a search and rescue mission late at night. They were found sailing back only on the jib after some problems after capsize in heavy gusts.
That night the sauna felt better and the barbeque tasted better than ever and many stories were shared around the table.
Day 4
The final day offered champagne sailing in sunny weather and 10-15 knots of wind. After some initial follow-the-leader sailing there were some tactical choices to be made. Option 1 was to sail an inner way, clearly shorter but also some more islands potentially slowing the wind. Option 2 was an outer way, still passing may islands but more open. The fleet was split in two. Linder/Brunnberg went for the inner route followed by a bunch of teams and Dahl/Bodén made the other choice and other teams followed. After sailing for an hour and a half without seeing each other the top teams of both routes got contact some 10 minutes from finish and it turned out the two options left the teams in exactly the same positions as when they split. Dahl/Bodén won by 100 meters over Linder/Brunnberg. This is raid sailing in the archipelago at its best.
The final sprint leg (11 Nm) started with a downwind start that was quite messy and could have cased protests. But in the end, after 4 days of sailing, first place went to Jacob Lundqvist and Niklas Nordblom (SWE) who sailed the raid together for the first time. For Jacob it was his first win and for Niklas this was the 5th gold which makes him the sailors who won the raid most times.
The “master sailors” Lars Linder and Erik Brunnberg came 2nd and finished on the podium for the first time after having sailed more than 15 archipelago raids each. 3rd place to the former Raid World Champions (2017) Dahl/Bodén who sailed well the last to days snitching the bonze from the Becker brothers (NED) during the last day of sailing.
A change has been made to the Notice of Race and the 2023 course. The first base camp will be Rånö in the very south of the archipelago followed by 2 stop-overs at Sandhamn/Lökholmen. It means all teams can leave their bags one night and less logistics. But also that we can go further North on day three than originally planned.
On the second day the dinner will be at Sandhamn Wärdshus and on day three we plan to throw a barbeque at Lökholmen. Since Sandhamn is easy accessible by public transport it will be possible for friends and famility to join us for dinner. Contact Lars Linder for arrangement.
The early bird discount is valid until the 30th of June, so still some time for sailors to sign up to get the best price.
