From Lars Linder, Stockholm Archipelago Raid OA – All pictures by Henrik Trygg
This year, the Stockholm Archipelago Raid might really have been called the Åland Archipelago Raid. The last time the Archipelago Raid visited Åland was in 2009, but this year it was decided to start and finish in Ariehamn, Åland — the self-governing, Swedish-speaking archipelago of 17,000 islands belonging to Finland.
The event ran from Sunday, 9 August to Wednesday, 12 August, with 2–3 challenging races planned each day and relaxing evenings in traditional Finnish saunas, followed by a good meal based on local produce (mainly fish) at each base camp. For most teams, this was their first chance to discover Åland’s unique blend of open-sea racing, tricky navigation and warm island hospitality — a truly unforgettable introduction to raid sailing in Åland.
Off to a windy start
The forecast promised strong wind on all four days, at times perfect but with gusts over 30 knots on days two and three. On day one, the plan to round the main island clockwise had to be abandoned due to strong SW winds and a difficult sea state. Instead, the course was set south, where the islands offered some shelter. Leg 1 started with a long reach followed by an hour-long gennaker run. A few teams capsized and had to be assisted by safety boats, but all made it safely to a beautiful beach in the end. The second leg, to base camp at Hamnsundet on the other side of the main island, started downwind, with the final 10 Nm a long reach on port tack in winds exceeding 20 knots. After a fierce battle between two boats, SWE 007 (Karlsson/Nordblom) beat FIN 14 (Silen/Muikko) by a single boat length. After a well-deserved sauna and a dinner of local fish (abborre, sik, and sill), the teams settled into their tents to rest for the next day.
Lappo — an iconic base camp
Day two began with champagne sailing eastbound: a long starboard reach followed by tacking upwind to the long beaches at Sandösund. The second leg brought some challenging navigation and a long starboard reach, with the gennaker going up and down repeatedly throughout the race. The leg finished in Lappo, a small community in the eastern Åland archipelago. SWE 007 won again, extending their streak to four straight race wins. Dinner was served at a local restaurant, with tents pitched right next to the F18s on the shore of the harbour. Sailors who had raced before 2010 recalled the short stop here in years past, with a few hours’ rest under a roof before setting off again at 4:30 am.
Early start on day three
On day three, sailors were up before sunrise to be ready for the 6 am start — not only for the beauty of sailing at sunrise, but because the forecast for the afternoon was brutal, and the Race Committee wanted every boat ashore before lunch. Plans to sail to Kökar were scrapped, and the fleet instead headed back west to Sandösund. Racing began with roughly two hours of upwind sailing on starboard tack, including some tactical route choices, followed by tacking upwind in building wind. In the end, NED 2 with the Dutch brothers Wik and Rob Becker took the win, followed by FIN 14 and SWE 100. All teams were ashore before 11 am, and with gusts now well over 30 knots, the Race Committee called off any further racing for the day. Fortunately, the beautifully located campsite had two saunas, and spirits were high among the teams at dinner.
Four teams fight to the finish for the podium
Day four brought plenty of wind again, though more manageable — at least for the experienced teams. The start was downwind in NE winds, and as the course turned SW it became a long starboard reach, with the gennaker going up and down repeatedly on the way to the lunch break at Rödhamn, a harbour well known to Swedish and Finnish sailors alike. The Safety boats were pretty occupied for most of this race assisting boats in trouble and preventing them from drifting up on the rocky shorelines.
3 boats on the same point, but one team standing out
The final leg into Mariehamn was a 13 Nm sprint upwind in near-perfect conditions of 15–20 knots. Racing stayed tight all the way to the finish line. In the end, Karlsson/Nordblom (SWE) took the overall win with 121 points, with three teams tied on 117 points — though only two could take medals. Second place went to the Becker brothers (NED), and third to Silén/Muikku (FIN), with Busck/Wersäll (SWE) finishing fourth. The mixed class was equally tight between the top three teams, with father-daughter duo Middleton (GBR) taking gold. In the youth class, Orama/Hyttinen fought heroically in the heavy winds, managing to beat several heavier and more experienced teams.
A regatta dinner with prize-giving followed at Ålands Segelsällskap’s impressive clubhouse, where the tired but happy sailors and race organisers finally enjoyed a good night’s sleep in real beds. Åland delivered in every way — the Archipelago Raid will definitely be back.
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