AMSERV TOYOTA ST Claims Baltic Offshore Week 2026 and Open Estonian & Finnish ORC II Championship Titles
15 June 2026, Tallinn, Estonia – Three days of highly variable weather, tactical racing, and a championship-defining offshore challenge culminated on Sunday with AMSERV TOYOTA ST (First 36.7 mod) emerging victorious at Baltic Offshore Week 2026. The crew led by Margus Zuravljov secured both the regatta title and the Open Estonian & Finnish ORC II Championship crown ahead of SUGAR (Italia 9.98F) skippered by Henri Roihu and SHADOW (Arcona 340) led by Harles Liiv. From sunshine and steady breeze to prolonged waiting ashore, shifting winds and heavy rain, the three-day championship tested sailors in every possible way before concluding with a dramatic finale on Tallinn Bay.
Organised by Kalevi Jahtklubi and Helsingfors Segelklubb ry under the authority of the Estonian Sailing Federation (ESF), the Finnish Offshore Racing Association (Avomeripurjehtijat), and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), the event also served as the Open Estonian & Finnish ORC II Championship, bringing together a competitive fleet from both sides of the Gulf of Finland.
The regatta delivered a full range of Baltic summer conditions, from moderate sea breezes and sunshine to prolonged waiting ashore, shifting winds, and heavy rain, testing the patience and adaptability of sailors and race officials alike.
Friday: Strong Opening Day with Four Inshore Races
The championship opened on Friday in favourable conditions on Tallinn Bay. A northwesterly breeze allowed the Race Committee to complete four inshore races, providing an excellent start to the event and establishing the first championship contenders.
AMSERV TOYOTA ST quickly demonstrated its speed and consistency, winning two races and finishing the day at the top of the standings. SHADOW and SUGAR remained close behind, while Finnish teams LOW (First 34.7) of Juhani Railo and TETU 5 (X-34) of Seppo Kari kept themselves firmly in contention.
Saturday: Patience Rewarded as Offshore Race Saves the Championship
Saturday posed the greatest challenge of the regatta. By Friday night, the forecast showed no wind until late afternoon on Saturday. This forced Principal Race Officer Andres Talts and the Race Committee to postpone racing for the rest of the afternoon while closely monitoring the forecast.
The traditional After Sail Pasta & Beer gathering was humorously transformed into a Before Sail Pasta & Beer event as sailors waited ashore for the breeze to arrive.
The patience paid off in more ways than one. Beyond simply providing a final day of racing, the offshore race was crucial to the championship itself. Without completing the offshore course, the event would not have fulfilled the championship requirements, making the late-afternoon arrival of the northwesterly breeze particularly welcome for both competitors and organisers.
In addition, the offshore race carried a 1.4 scoring multiplier and, unlike the inshore races, could not be discarded from a team’s series score. As a result, it was set to play a decisive role in the overall standings.
By late afternoon, a northwesterly breeze finally began to establish itself across Tallinn Bay, allowing the Race Committee to send the fleet on a 29.25-nautical-mile offshore course starting at 18:00. The route took the fleet north to the Uusmadal mark before turning southwest around the western side of Naissaar Island and returning to the finish line off Kalev Yacht Club.
The course was designed using the latest available weather models and the ORC Weather Routing Scoring (WRS) system. The ORC’s new RaceFlow application proved invaluable in constructing the course, allowing the race management team to evaluate numerous alternatives as the forecast evolved throughout the day. Scorer Ari Peltomäki, along with Principal Race Officer Andres Talts, ran 13 different course and routing iterations before selecting the final route.
The accuracy of both the forecast and the Race Committee’s decision-making became evident after the finish. Despite changing conditions throughout the evening, the fleet’s actual elapsed times of approximately 4 hours and 35 minutes to 4 hours and 48 minutes differed from the WRS Predicted Finish Times by only three to nine minutes.
The race began in approximately 11 knots of northwesterly wind under light rain. As the race progressed, the weather deteriorated steadily, with rain becoming increasingly heavy during the return leg from Naissaar. Boats crossed the finish line between 22:35 and 22:48, completing the course in just under five hours.
The battle for victory was exceptionally close. The corrected-time win went to AMSERV TOYOTA ST (First 36.7 mod), which completed the course in 4 hours, 38 minutes and 28 seconds. SUGAR (Italia 9.98F) finished just 28 seconds behind on corrected time, while LUMI (First 34.7) by Kevin Jakobson secured third place a mere three seconds further back. The top four boats were separated by only 40 seconds on corrected time after nearly five hours of racing.
As darkness approached and heavy rain continued to fall, crews returned to Kalev Yacht Club tired, wet and satisfied after a demanding offshore challenge. Awaiting them ashore were hot saunas and the rescheduled Pasta & Beer gathering, which proved especially welcome after an evening spent battling the elements on the Gulf of Finland.
Sunday: One Final Race Decides the Medals
Sunday’s schedule called for three additional inshore races, but once again the weather had other plans.
The fleet completed one final race in highly unstable and shifting conditions. Large wind shifts throughout the course produced a significantly different finishing order compared to Friday’s racing, rewarding teams that best adapted to the changing breeze. X-34 BRIGITTA-X of Aleksandr Karboinov claimed victory ahead of Finland’s TETU 5 and SUGAR.
After the completion of the race, the wind gradually faded away across Tallinn Bay, leaving no realistic opportunity to conduct the remaining scheduled races. At 13:20, the Race Committee hoisted AP over A, officially signalling the end of racing for Baltic Offshore Week 2026.
With six races completed, including the championship-defining offshore race, the final standings were confirmed. AMSERV TOYOTA ST’s consistency throughout the regatta, including victory in the offshore race, secured the overall championship title.
The prize-giving ceremony was held at Kalev Yacht Club Harbour at 15:00 on Sunday afternoon, where champions, trophy winners, and medalists were recognised for their achievements.
Baltic Offshore Week 2026 & Open Estonian & Finnish ORC II Championship
Gold – AMSERV TOYOTA ST (First 36.7 mod) - EST 379, skipper: Margus Zuravljov
Crew: Lauri Luks, Margus Nõmmik, Marti Kütt, Martti Kinkar, Rene Maajärv, Eva Jakunin, Mia Marin Lilienthal
Silver – SUGAR (Italia 9.98F) - EST 774, skipper: Henri Roihu
Crew: Sten Taal, Keith Luur, Ott Richard Hääl, Aleksander Kuusik, Eleny Kasemets, Joosep Laus, August Luure, Angus Aarna Ant
Bronze – SHADOW (Arcona 340) - EST 646, skipper: Harles Liiv
Crew: Tanel Tamm, Janno Kriiska, Fredy Maalt, Jaan Akermann, Henri Tauts, Raiot Pikmets, Veiko Valts
Special Awards
Best Foreign Team - LOW (First 34.7) FIN 11625 of Juhani Railo
Best X-Yacht - BRIGITTA-X (X-34) EST 606 of Aleksandr Karboinov
Recipient of the X-Yachts Half Model Perpetual Trophy.
Hasse Trophy - Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the winner of the class with the largest number of competitors: AMSERV TOYOTA ST (First 36.7 mod) EST 379 of Margus Zuravljov
Congratulations to the champions, medalists, and all teams who made this edition a true test of patience, strategy, and performance on Tallinn Bay and the Gulf of Finland. A big thank you to the Race Committee, officials, partners, and sailors for making Baltic Offshore Week 2026 another memorable chapter in Baltic offshore racing.
Results page on ORC Scorer
Photogalleries on Flickr © Aleksandr Abrosimov & © Piret Salmistu
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