Sugar IY 9.98, helmed by Ott Kikkas with Marjaliisa Umb on board, wasted no time in making its intentions clear, seizing control of the leaderboard in Class C after the offshore opener of the ORC World Championship, underway in Tallinn (EST) through August 16.
“It was a true offshore leg — 174 nautical miles,” commented Umb. “We raced along the Finnish coastline in steady breeze ranging from 15 to 20 knots. It was a demanding course, with 17 hours of upwind sailing out of the 27-hour race. In the end, we’re genuinely thrilled to be leading the standings, especially given the exceptionally high calibre of the fleet. That’s always been a hallmark of this racecourse, and it keeps our focus razor-sharp.”
In Class C, the debut race also saw a solid performance from the IY Arabela of Raimondas Šiugždinis and Fanatic 2 of Ain-Eke Jalasto, finishing sixth and ninth respectively, both crossing the line within 39 minutes of the leader.
