English
Foto: Jānis Spurdziņš
One of the biggest regattas in the Baltics States, the Gulf of Riga Regatta (GoRR), will open this Sunday with a festive parade of sailing yachts near Vanšu Bridge and Andrejsala. More than 60 teams from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland will take part in the week-long event. The regatta will start in Riga on Monday and the first day of racing will take place in Latvian capital. The fleet will continue on to Saamsalu later in the week and finish in the port of Koiguste on 4 July.
The Gulf of Riga Regatta will be launched in Riga again this year. As previously, the sailing festival will be open to everyone on Sunday 29 June, when the spectacular parade of sailing yachts will take place on the Daugava River. The most convenient location for watching the parade will be at the Passenger Port, enjoying an exciting riverside event programme in the framework of the Riga Riverside Festival. The parade will take place from 17.30 to 18.30. Festival guests will be able to vote for the most attractive and creative team. The winners will be announced at the opening ceremony of GoRR at 20.00 at the Auda Yacht Club at Mangaļsala.
We asked the organizers of the competition what will make this year special for the regatta and its participants, and Valters Romans, Board Chairman of the Latvian Offshore Sailing Association and GoRR Director, said: “The regatta is the biggest annual sailing event in Latvia - more than 60 seaworthy yachts will compete for the title of Latvian champion during the week-long event, and in two of seven groups the Livonia Cup will be awarded. Not only is there a growing interest in competitive sailing in Latvia, but we are also witnessing an influx of the most professional athletes from neighbouring countries, which is a great compliment to the regatta! This year teams from Finland and Poland will also participate in the event.”
The first leg of the regatta – the “Freeport of Riga” - will take place on 1 July at the berths near the outflow of the Daugava River into the bay. The starting signal on the water is scheduled for 12.00. According to the organisers, the course will be set as close to the shore as possible, depending on the wind direction, to make the race exciting for both sailors and viewers. The safety of the competitors is a priority, so the exact location will be decided the night before, taking into account the weather conditions. Official race information can be found on the regatta website www.gulfofrigaregatta.eu/en, where it is possible to follow the regatta in real time by SAP Sailings Analytics tool and see each day's course.
Later on GoRR will leave Riga for the second leg in Kuressaare, where the fleet will arrive, most likely, on 2 July. As the race's chief judge Madis Ausman explained, “For the first time GoRR has such a long leg distance - around 95 nautical miles or about 175 kilometres.” At an average speed of five knots, the boat could reach the end of the course in around twenty hours. If the wind is stronger, the bigger boats will be there sooner, and the smaller ones later. “If the wind is slow, there will be an intermediate finish in the middle of the course and this is the first time this practice has been introduced at GoRR,” said Kristine Kanska, the Regatta organiser and race secretary. The intermediate finish will provide an advantage to stop the long race in very slow winds.
On Thursday, 3 July, the “Sportland” coastal race will take place in Kuressaare, where part of the fleet will compete in the so-called Olympic or windward-leeward race, while another part of the fleet will sail around the Abruka island. On Friday, 4 July, the fleet will sail onwards to Koiguste harbour, where the GoRR winners, Latvian Offshore Sailing Champions and Livonia Cup Challenge winners will be awarded in the evening.
GoRR is the largest annual international regatta in Latvia, taking place over a week in the Gulf of Riga, - and this year it is held for the eighth time. Teams from the Baltic Sea region take part in the event and the Latvian Offshore Sailing Champions are awarded. The fastest boats in various groups compete for the Livonia Cup, symbolising the revival of the Latvian offshore sailing traditions. The regatta is organised by the Latvian Offshore Sailing Association in cooperation with the Latvian Sailing Union and Estonian partners - Saaremaa Merispordi Selts and Pärnu Yacht Club.
More information on the Regatta programme: www.gulfofrigaregatta.eu/en
Information for media
- [email protected], +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- 12 Kalpaka blvd, Riga, Latvia, LV-1010
