SAR JUNE 26, 2025 Stockholm Archipelago Raid 2025 Thursday, June 26 – Leg 8 and 9
Leg 8 – Start at 9:00
- 6 Start (south of the Finnhamn lagoon) – Paddling allowed from start to finish
- 94 to starboard – Björkskärsfjärden
- 24 Finish close Stora Alskär
The morning’s most satisfying trade: a daggerboard for some batteries.
Sunshine all around and surprising warmth. Several sailors felt overdressed already on the way to the start.
Paddling across the start line ransitioned into light upwind conditions, with some support paddling likely all the way to the first checkpoint.
Two groups of five boats each held a steady downwind course toward Stora Alskär. Wallin/Riccius and Mårten/Richter missed CP 94.
First to finish was Ekefalk/Rosengren, with a solid lead over the second boat—7 minutes ahead: Åberg/Simmons and Rankin/White.
Lunch at Stora Alskär on flat rocks and sand in warming sunshine.
Top 3 finishers, Leg 8
- Ekefalk/Rosengren
- Åberg/Simmons
- Rankin/White
Leg 9 – Start 14:00
- 24 Start Alskär
- 32 to port – Bullerö
- 48 to port (close by) – Norsten
- 54 to starboard (close by) – Huvudskär
- 61 to starboard, paddling allowed
- 3 Finish on the beach – Rånö
Downwind start – Karlsson/Nordblom got the best start, followed closely by Ekefalk/Rosengren and Bengtsson/Degerfors.
A bit further Åberg/Simmons squeezed into third place, with Bengtsson/Degerfors and Bergendahl/Wallin closely behind in steady 4–6 m/s winds. Interesting to see how this holds over the remaining 38 nautical miles.
About halfway, at CP 48 Morsten, six boats were tacking in a tight group aiming for Huvudskär.
Karlsson/Nordblom had a few minutes’ lead, but a ripped gennaker cost them time.
Good speed through Huvudskär, then fading wind outside Utö, followed by a shift to the south and rising wind again … and then another drop. Finish at Rånö.
Just before 8 p.m., the first boat Rankin/White crossed the finish line, closely followed by Åberg/Simmons.
At the finish: horn, beer, and a stunning sunset for the exhausted sailors. Debatable whether … or just how much … the beer tasted good after such a long day.
Today’s time of sailing: 10.5 hours including the lunch stop. Sauna and food followed, meanwhile three boats were towed in, and Eriksson/Hinnerson made it home on their own, reaching the beach at 22:30!
Top 3 finishers, Leg 9
- Rankin/White
- Åberg/Simmons
- Ekefalk/Rosengren
