Byxelkroken – and ACT2020 Race Summary
Late last night the Västervik Guest Marina finally showed up in front of Johanna. The racing team drove from Stockholm and arrived more or less exactly at the same time.
The next morning we prepped the boat, unhatched the compost, and lifted some other heavy stuff out from Johanna. Still, she is maybe not exactly racing-lite... having been used for long-distance sailing for some two-plus months...
Great job team ACT 2020!!! You sail raced four major races around the country with full guts and glory...during a weird and unusual pandemic season. Yeay!!
Packing the spinnaker for the next leg is crucial...
Sailing back from Byxelkrok towards Västervik...
The ACT 2020 Racing Summary
By sailing the Byxelkroken Race the team completed our racing plan despite the raving Corona pandemic. Two of the races were canceled due to the pandemic, but by changing the route between the west and the east coast and by sailing the Gotland Runt distance, we consider the racing season success with lots of lessons learned and valuable experiences collected: leadership, teamwork, setting sails, trimming, tactics, building self-esteem in a male-dominated arena and overcoming fears from offshore sailing in harsh winds. All contributing to a growing desire for more races.
And last but not least – The ACT 2020 all-female racing team created awareness every time they showed up. The team competed in the following races:
The Kolfiberrodret Race – 105 NM
A double-handed, round-the-clock, race in Stockholm Archipelago. First race all-female for Hanna T and Siri. Great performance! The race's theme is: "Not straight, but crooked" so they keep the crews busy with lots of rounding marks and zigzag sailing in the archipelago. Check blog post
The Gotland Runt "Unplugged" Race – 300+ NM
Covid canceled the original race but the team sailed the full distance and round Gotland in an all-wind all-weather condition. Cheered by our supportive and inspiring Project Patron Dee Caffari MBE. A fantastic sailing accomplishment and a new SY Johanna Record – 14,2 knots! Check blog post about the start
The Tjörn Runt Race – 30 NM
Hanna, Hanna, Siri, and Elin gathered in Stenungsund with enthusiasm and went off with a great start, great spinnaker setting, speed, and mood. Three hours later the wind died and another two hours later, and after drifting backward in the current, they and 30 other participating boats quit racing... Check blog post
The Byxelkroken Race – 60 NM
From Västervik to Byxelkrok on the island Öland and back to Västervik. The two races were performed with excellence in harsh competition and more or less only experienced male crews on the other boats. Lots of great sailing and practice for the races to come.
The Lidingö Runt Race – 15 NM
The original race date of May 9th was canceled due to Covid, but a special version opened up on September 26th – shorthanded only (max 2 people). SY Johanna participated, but due to last-minute calendar issues within the racing team, we sailed shorthanded with male skipper Bertoft only – for the reason of still raising awareness as planned.
