4 days to start of the 21st consecutive raid in the Stockholm Archipelago and the first foreign teams have arrived in Stockholm. 22 teams with some of the best F18 sailors from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, USA and Sweden will participate this year, despite some late cancellations due to Covid travel restrictions and quarantine rules. No less than 9 different F18 models will be sailed including some brand new designs and earlier models.

Skipper			Crew			Model
Justus	Wolf	GER	Roman	Pixell	SWE	Scorpion
Patrick	Demesmaeker	BEL	Olivier	Gagliani	BEL	Akurra
Joris	Vanden Berghe	BEL	Yohan	Debauque	BEL	Cirrus R2
Jan	Hedmann Jensen	DEN	Penny	Wyon	DEN	C2
Anssi	Muikku	FIN	Petri	Forsman	FIN	Cirrus R
Matti	Nieminen	FIN	Olivier	Backes	FRA	Phantom
Valtteri	Rahkonen	FIN	Antti	Laukkanen	FIN	Scorpion
Ilkka	Saura	FIN	Lauri	Myllyvirta	FIN	Wildcat
Martin-Sebastian	Kreplin	GER	Daniel	Eggert	GER	Hobie wildcat
Ad	Noordzij	NED	Maarten	Noordzij	NED	Cirrus R
Steve	Strobel	USA	Steven	Leuck	USA	Nacra Evolution
Henrik	Almstedt	SWE	Mathias	Almstedt	SWE	C2
Therese	Antman	SWE	Oscar	Wetterling	SWE	C2
Johan	Bengtsson	SWE	Ola	Degerfors	SWE	Scorpion
Peter	Busck	SWE	Magnus	Du Rietz	SWE	Scorpion
Robert	Carlens	SWE	Johnnie	Krigström	SWE	C2
Leff	Dahl	SWE	Niklas	Bredberg	SWE	C2
Fredrik	Karlsson	SWE	Niklas	Nordblom	SWE	Scorpion
Lars	Linder	SWE	Erik	Brunnberg	SWE	C2
Max	Linder	SWE	Gustav	Boestad	SWE	C2
Jakob	Palmblad	SWE	Gregory	Simmons	SWE	Scorpion
Anders	Tengbom	SWE	Stefan	Engstrand	SWE	Nacra Fusion

The high pressure with hot air that parked over the Scandinavian peninsula for over a month in June / July feels long gone this rainy and windy August night. However the sea temperature is still up and and the weather forecast is quite uncertain.

What is certain though is that the Race Committe is prepared, the Base Camps are ready and the 66 Check Points (bouys, light houses, islands, rocks etc) are set waiting to be rounded. The course will be in the middle and northern parts of the archipelago, an area of about 50 km * 100 km.

The name of the game is that teams will be briefed during dinner about the CP’s that will be used during the 2-3 races the following day. They can then prepare their navigation, study different options and short cuts and make their strategy and plan for the next day. Typically 3 to 5 CP’s are used each race and the sailed distance each day is from about 40 Nm and up. The winning concept is to have reasonably good boat speed while making the right navigational choices, dodge the rocks to keep the boat in one piece and to eat and drink to get the energy to keep going to the finish line.

• 

• 

• 

Safety equipment includes VHF, GPS, knives, towing lines, paddles, flares and spares on each boat and all sailors wear a dry or wetsuit, floating aid and sometimes helmet and a Personal Locator Beacon.

• 

• 

• 

The spirit of the raid is as much about the adventure and nature as it is about the sport. Being far out in the wilderness in places that you would not normally go to in these small, super fast catamarans or any boat is exhilarating. The changing scenery as you leave Stockholm behind and move from islands covered with woods to the outer bare rocks and skerries inhabited by seals and sea birds is amazing. And after a sauna, a good dinner and drink or a glass of wine the party is on before it is time to hit the sack. Repeat times four.

• 

• 

• 

This year will be no exception!