Stockholm Archipelago Raid 2025 – Wednesday, June 25 – Leg 5, 6 and 7.
Leg 5 – Start 5:30
- 4 – Start Fejan
- 78 – leave to starboard
- 43 – leave to starboard
- 44 – leave to starboard
- 88 – finish between L. Gräskö
A very early morning with cool, damp air. The officials, who had spent the night on Lidö, traveled to a quiet and tense Fejan. The sailors packed up their tents, got dressed, and rigged their boats. Breakfast bags and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) to bring onboard.
A perfect upwind start in 5 m/s with ten boats. Some chose a starboard start, others port. Ekefalk/Rosengren crossed the start line first, heading toward the northernmost island Arholma. The course then turned back south and out to the open sea in increasing winds before rounding the epic lighthouse Söderarm, and then more east toward the finish at Lilla Gräskö at the family Östermans private recidence where we were welcomed with open arms and coffe. Former F18 sailor Anders Tengbom showed up with his amphibious airplane.
After less than 4 hours of fast sailing, the top 3 teams were:
Top 3 finishers, Leg 5:
- Karlsson/Nordblom
- Ekefalk/Rosengren
- Bengtsson/Degerfors
Finish at Gräskö: 9:25 AM.
(Wallin/Riccius and Mårten/Richter – shortened course; Åberg/Simmons – DNF; Rankin/White – NSC for incorrect rounding of cp 44)
Leg 6 – Start 11:30
- 88 – Start
- 45 to starboard (close by)
- 66 – finish on the beach at Husarö
- Sound signal finish
The fleet blasted off on a downwind start in a fresh 7 m/s breeze, charging southeast into the maze of islands north of Rödlöga. From the start, Rankin/White, Mårten/Richter, and Bengtsson/Degerfors showed their intent with aggressive positioning. Ekefalk/Rosengren were right in the mix—until fate struck. They snagged an anchor line and pitch-poled, sending their cat into a somersault. But the crew recovered fast and were back in the race within minutes.
This leg turned out to be one of the most dramatic yet. Ekefalk/Rosengren’s misfortunes weren’t over—a crew member was tossed overboard but managed to cling on behind the boat. Meanwhile, Rankin/White shattered a daggerboard navigating the treacherous shallows. The entire fleet battled complex navigation, unpredictable gusts, and a scattering of submerged hazards.
As the wind tapered near Husarö, the final approach turned tactical. With boats converging toward the finish, Ekefalk/Rosengren and Åberg/Simmons were neck-and-neck. In a bold move, Rosengren jumped ashore and sprinted through the forest, shortcutting to the finish horn—beating Åberg/Simmons by seconds.
After a cold and testing leg, the sun finally broke through—lifting spirits just in time for rest and repairs.
Top 3 Finishers – Leg 6:
- Karlsson/Nordblom
- Ekefalk/Rosengren
- Åberg/Simmons
Leg 7
- 66 – Start L Gräskö
- 52 to port – Finnhamn
- 20 to starboard – PA (paddling allowed) Norra Möja (possibly S-flag)
- 72 to port (close by) – PA Stavsudda
- 6 – Finish on the beach on Finnhamn
Start: 15:00
The afternoon start at Gräskö saw the fleet once again heading off downwind—but not everyone made it off cleanly. Rankin/White had to delay their start by five minutes to patch up damage from a collision with a rock.
Forty minutes into the leg, Åberg/Simmons had seized the lead, followed by Bengtsson/Degerfors, Karlsson/Nordblom, and Ekefalk/Rosengren. But the course was soon altered, removing waypoint 72 and shifting tactics across the fleet.
The reshuffle brought a new top pack: Åberg/Simmons still leading, chased by Karlsson/Nordblom, Ekefalk/Rosengren, Bergendahl/Wallin, and Rankin/White clawing back time after their delayed start.
But disaster struck again. Bengtsson/Degerfors suffered a daggerboard-breaking collision with another rock, forcing them to retire from the leg.
The leg ended with a picturesque finish at Finnhamn’s beach in “paradiset”, the paradise, where the horn and flag signaled the end of leg 7.
Top 3 Finishers – Leg 7:
- Åberg/Simmons
- Ekefalk/Rosengren
- Karlsson/Nordblom
Mårten/Richter and Wallin/Riccius did not start this leg.
