Starting their fifth season of racing J/70s on their idyllic settings of fjords and villages by the sea, the league plans to have both "open" and "lockdown" scenarios as part of their strategy for the 2021 season.
Viggo Holm, leader of Sandefjord Sailing Association explained, "we in Sandefjord Sailing Association are excited to once again host and manage the first sailing league event for Norway's best sailors! We promise a good atmosphere, and here in Norway's sunny county we are betting on the weather providing us good winds and lots of sun. With beautiful Seilerholmen as an arena, we will offer sailors food and drink between battles and a place to relax. Sailing in Norway needs a real sailing party now after the corona, and we will achieve that!"
From May 29-30 the opening event will be held with 15 teams in each of the two divisions. Åsgårdstrand Seilforening are still defending champions from the 2019 season, since the 2020 season was wiped out by the covid-19 pandemic.
During this year's sailing league season, there will also be a fight for places in the Sailing Champions League. After the end of the season, the four best in the elite series will have the opportunity to try their hand internationally, sailing the emerald waters off Porto Cervo, Italy at YC Costa Smeralda.
A novelty for this year is that any event, if the corona situation requires it, can be held as a mixed doublehanded regatta, instead of the boats being fully manned by four sailors.
"That we have made the opening to be able to sail mixed doublehanded in the league rounds, means that it must be a very impossible corona situation for the sailing league not to be able to be completed this year," says Magnus Hedemark from SailLogic, the firm responsible for the implementation of the sailing league.
Anniversary party in Larvik
After Sandefjord, the journey continues to Larvik, where the teams will meet again for the competition from June 19-20. The city of Larvik is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year, and the sailing league competition will be part of the celebration.
Bjarte Løchen, who is the regatta manager in Larvik Sailing Association, commented that, "we aim to use the same sailing arena in Larvik's inner harbor. But, we will take into account extra space on land due to infection control regulations, and therefore plan to lay the sailing base on Sanden Pier in front of Kulturhuset Bølgen. We hope for a lot of life and fun and extra attention around the event."
Exciting finale in the west
The big finale will take place on September 11-12, and for the first time the sailing league will visit Florø. Florø Sailing Association has been in the league from the very beginning and is in the elite series. The team has sailed there for three of four seasons. Follow Norwegian J/70 Sailing League on Facebook here. For more J/70 Sailing League information