Sailing cruise through the Baltic in summer 2014
St. Petersburg and Swedish Archipelagos on the route
World Cruising Club (WCC), have announced an exciting new addition to our rally programme, with the first ever ARC Baltic rally planned for summer 2014. Combining “six capitals in six weeks” the new rally will offer a different focus from our trans-ocean events; days cruising at sea, combined with an exploration of the Baltic’s fascinating culture and history, will take you on a 1,500nm voyage of discovery through Europe’s “east sea”.
Highlights
- Six capitals in six weeks
- Includes Finnish and Swedish archipelagos
- Easy cruising of 1-2 days at sea between stopovers
- Cultural and social activities ashore
- Lead boat with experienced local sailors aboard as guides
- Starts in mid-July and finishes in western Baltic in late August 2014
Register your interest
In detail
The Baltic is a vast waterway which offers some superb sailing with the added attraction of a unique and varied history making it a perfect place to cruise. Our experienced Baltic sailors on the lead-boat will act as guides and friends for this summer adventure to St. Petersburg and back.
The route outline
Starting from the Baltic port of Kiel, the home of German sailing, the ARC Baltic itinerary will include the Estonian capital Tallin, the former Russian Imperial capital St. Petersburg, the Finnish capital Helsinki, the Finnish provincial capital Mariehamn, the Swedish capital Stockholm, and the Danish capital Copenhagen. En route, the rally sails through some of the most beautiful and interesting sights in the Baltic. The rally format will be adapted to the Baltic and the individual legs will be short, one to two days, with the focus being to experience the cultural history of the region and enjoy the stunning beauty of the Swedish and Finnish archipelagos. Over six weeks the rally will sail close to 1500 nautical miles, with an itinerary that allows flexibility for the prevailing weather encountered. The start is planned to be in mid-July to be finished by late August, allowing yachts from further afield to be back to their home ports by the end of the month. World Cruising Club will lead the rally from on board a yacht sailing with the fleet, with an experienced Baltic sailor and historian as guide.
Summer sailing
Over six weeks the rally will sail close to 1500 miles, with an itinerary that allows flexibility for the prevailing weather encountered. The start is planned to be in mid-July to be finished by late August, allowing yachts from further afield to be back to their home ports by the end of the month. The World Cruising Club team will lead the rally from on board a yacht sailing with the fleet, with a resident native speaker and historian as our guide.
Route highlights
The Rally starts in Kiel (Germany) which is easily accessed through the Kiel Canal.
Bornholm (Denmark) with its picturesque fishing villages and medieval churches.
Visby (Sweden) on the island Gotland; a walled town in a region rich in history from Viking age onwards.
The rally then crosses the Baltic, passing Gotska Island, onto to the Estonian capital Tallin; newly restored to its previous glory.
St. Petersburg (Russian Federation) is where the rally will spend time ashore, visit the famous Hermitage museum, the Winter Palace, and much more in this fascinating city founded by Tsar Peter the Great.
After St. Petersburg the rally turns west to the Finnish capital Helsinki with its interesting blend of Swedish, Finnish and Russian history. On entering Finnish waters the rally then begins to cruise through the famous archipelagos.
The Finnish and Swedish archipelagos consist of thousands of skerries and islands which offer innumerable anchorages with unprecedented beauty.
The Aland Islands are the next destination, a unique mix of Swedish and Finish cultures. At Mariehamn there is a chance to see the historic Pommern sailing ship, a reminder of the areas dependency on the sea, and now a floating museum.
It is then a short hop to the Swedish capital Stockholm. After crossing the Aland Sea the route takes the rally through the Swedish archipelago to reach Stockholm in one day. Stockholm is built on many islands giving the city unforgettable scenery. The highlight for sailors in Stockholm is a visit to the 17th century warship
Wasa, salvaged in pristine condition from the Baltic seabed mud and now preserved on public display.
From Stockholm we turn south going through the channels of the archipelago at a leisurely pace anchoring at night, and enjoying the scenery. Suggested anchorages will be provided by the rally guides. After a couple of days we enter the Kalmar Sound, the waterway between the Swedish mainland and the island of Oland. A stopover at city of Kalmar, gives a chance to explore its medieval and Viking history.
Klinthamn, on the Danish Island of Mon, sees crews take an overland day trip to Copenhagen and hosts the final social event of the rally. From Mon there are many options for those who wish to spend more time exploring Scandinavia, or simply take the quick route west to the North Sea via the Kiel Canal.
For those with more time to head back to the North Sea there is choice to go through the Sound, visiting the Danish capital Copenhagen, and reach the North Sea by via Skagen or going north to Helsngor and through Lim Fjorden, or round Sjaelland and back to Kiel.
Pre-registration
At this stage we are taking expressions of interest for the first rally to be run in the summer of 2014.