HM THE KINGS' RACES END NORWEGIAN SEASON

After the disappointment of no wind at last week's National Championship the Norwegian Class ended their season on a high note with great racing at HM The King's Races. - From Nils Hauff of the Norwegian Class - H M The King’s Races has been sailed since 1920, all the time with the king himself as Principal Race Officer. First King Haakon VII, later King Olav V and today King Harald V. King Olav V was a keen sailor, and he won an Olympic gold medal in 1928. King Harald V became European Champion in IMS this summer. He also sailed a Melges 24 a few years.

The race is started in a narrow sound, and after leaving the sound we sail one or two laps out on the fjord before going back in the sound to finish. Regular navigation marks are used as rounding marks. The course is indicated on the committee vessel the old fashioned way like 7-4-P-2-S. A green flag means two rounds on the fjord. Then mark 1 on the second lap shall always be rounded the same way as the preceding mark. It really is a kind of a puzzle for sailors used to windward-leeward configurations. We sail one race each afternoon Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

This week the wind was good up to 20 knots in the gusts. Six classes are invited. At one mark the Melges 24 with spinnakers had a port rounding at the same time as the slow going International Folk Boats had a starboard rounding. There were some strange situations.

In the first race the NOR 249 Fruen Maren helmed by the Olympic 49er sailor Christopher Sundby made a good start an soon had a comfortable lead. On the second round we unfortunately forgot the mark 1 and sailed fast in the wrong direction. Kristian Nergaard in Baghdad won this race. It is not enough to be a good sailor. You also have to be a smart sailor to win these races.

The second race was won by NOR 366 Siste Stein who did so well in Marstrand last year. After winning the third race, Baghdad was a clear overall winner. You can find the results on www.kns.no regatta/h m kongens serie/resultater.

H M King’s Races were the last races in this year’s Norwegian Melges 24 ranking. The ranking winner is for the first time Siste Stein.