Herud/ Kolstand Duo Triumph @ Norway J/70 Doublehanded Regatta

 

(Oslo, Norway)- If there was a sailing league that truly got "deep-sixed" by a combination of the pandemic and the Covid-19 "social guidelines", it had to be the Norwegian J/70 Sailing League. Comprised of at least a dozen clubs, sailing their six J/70s, the league has seen most excellent competition amongst the clubs. This year, the anticipation and expectations, sadly, were all but eviscerated with a complete cancellation of the 2020 sailing league season. Despite that fact, it did not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm for Norwegian sailors to get on the water once the "lockdowns" were reduced or eliminated.

One idea that "flew" with the government regulators was a "double-handed" J/70 sailing regatta. It met all of the strict limitations, so it recently took place in Ulabrand, near Oslo, Norway in the fleet of a half-dozen J/70s! Enthusiasm was strong for the event and when the announcement went out, it was quickly over-subscribed, with a number of teams relegated to being spectators to cheer on their friends. In total, a dozen teams sailed on Saturday as a qualifier, with Sunday being the final for the top six teams. 


It was a fantastic weekend for sailing. After two days of lots of great sailing, the worthy winners were Celine Herud and Thomas Kolstad from Royal Norwegian Sailforening. It was a super exciting finale that was not decided before the last boat crossed the finish line. You can't get a more exciting finish! 

Thanks to everyone who helped create a great, spontaneous event around the new concept- J/70 Double-handed Mixed Racing. There is definitely going to be more of it; especially since it's a proposed Paris 2024 Olympics Mixed Double-handed Offshore medal event!

Finally, a big "Thank You" to those who made this event possible: Kongelig Norsk Seilforening, Grundig Sailing Cup and Norsk Seilsportsliga / SailLogic. We need to do more of this!! Fun to work with so many talented people!  Sailing photo credits: Thomas Nilsson / SailLogic  For more Norway J/70 Doublehanded Regatta sailing information