Yacht crews sign up for annual contest
Shetland Times
Yachts competing in the next international race to visit Lerwick will cross the North Sea twice to determine the winner of the annual event.
The 26 entrants in the 38th Bergen-Shetland race will leave Rongesundet, north of the the Norwegian port, on Wednesday 19th June, and are expected to start arriving in Lerwick the following day.
There will be a prize giving on Friday 21st June.
The race, which incorporates a rally for cruising boats, is organised and conducted by the Vestland Sailing Association of Norway, with the cooperation of the Lerwick Boating Club.
Full crew classes will have a minimum of three members, with double-handed yachts having two.
The vessels, mostly Norwegian with one each from the USA and Denmark, will berth at Albert Dock.
They will begin the return race to Bergen on Sunday morning. The two legs of the challenging race add up to almost 450 miles.
Lerwick Port Authority Harbourmaster, Alexander Simpson, said: “The Bergen-Shetland Race is an established feature of our yachting season and of the close relationship the islands enjoy with Norway.
“It underlines the port’s reputation as a popular destination for yacht crews. We look forward to giving friends old and new a warm welcome.”
