Allegra First Boat to Finish Gotland Runt 2023
The 84-foot catamaran Allegra, which entered Gotland Runt with the explicit goal of breaking the speed record, crossed the finish line at 14:07 today, Monday. The boat and crew evidently thrived in the extreme conditions. While they didn't achieve their goal, the crew was nonetheless very satisfied as they stepped ashore in Sandhamn.
"It was fantastic and very windy," says Helena Darvelid in Allegra's crew with a big smile. At northern Gotland, we had a maximum wind speed of 42 knots (about 22 meters per second).
The predominantly professional crew pushed the boat hard; nevertheless, they didn't quite reach the records set on the old course when the race started in Sandhamn.
After rounding Hoburgen, they got more downwind, and the 84-foot catamaran set a new record for the boat at 34.2 knots. The average speed, including the light wind sailing through the archipelago, ended up at 12.9 knots, which didn't quite match the record set in 2007 on the old course. Still, they were pleased with the sail.
"We're constantly trying to sail above the water, but in the big waves, it often happened that we sailed under," Helena continues. "But the crew has done a fantastic job, and the atmosphere on board has been great."
Most of the remaining boats are still on the east side of Gotland, and around 3 p.m. on Monday, the first ones in that group began to approach the rounding at Hoburgen and the downwind sprint towards the finish line in Sandhamn, where they are expected to arrive tomorrow. Winds are also expected to decrease slightly, although they will continue to hover around gale force."
