Blue Ribbon of Balaton

Här följer en rapport om Blue Ribbon of Balaton från Craig Dalgarno ägare av Sk30 S 148 Lillie III Harry Becker 1932.

Lillie III

Hello All,
We learned this weekend that you bring home from a regatta in Hungary much more than just a result: rather, you bring home fond memories of a rich experience of genuine hospitality, great food and wine and last but not least, good sailing. And such memories you like to share with friends with the intention of encouraging them to experience the same, hence this short report.

No less than thirteen 30m² Skerry Cruisers made the start line for this year’s Blue Ribbon of Balaton out of a total of 430 yachts. Anyone experiencing such a field will know what a thrill it is to see 400 spinnakers spread out across a close area – a spectacular sight! Included in the 30m² fleet was a new boat just launched 2 weeks ago. The fact that the first six 30m²s crossed the finish line within a total of half an hour, after approximately 180km and 23 hours of sailing in various conditions, shows how close the racing was: very intense and exciting! First place went to “Lucifer” (Dr. József Fürstner, HUN-12), who managed in the dark at the last moment to sneak past the two boats that had led most of the way, “Hárpia” (Tivadar Lehoczky, HUN-8) and “Mágia” (Tamás Dulin, HUN-19), finishing in that order.

The “shore crew” was also more than adequately entertained, with a multitude of possibilities for sightseeing in the area. Hungarian cuisine may not be a favourite of vegetarians, but for the rest of us carnivores it is hard to beat! That, coupled with some excellent wines from the area, left no appetite unsatisfied. Language, with most Hungarians speaking either English or German (or both), is no restriction. It would be easy to pass a week or two on holiday in this area.
The Hungarian 30 sailors enjoy racing on a very high level, and are an enthusiastic and welcoming group who are keen to see more international participation. The organisation of regattas is excellent and generous sponsorship ensures much is offered also on a social level. We can only recommend anyone with the possibility to join in and participate in Hungarian regattas. Ideally they’d like to welcome foreign sailors with their own boats, but anyone will more than likely be able to arrange a crewing position on a Hungarian boat if they are interested.

Almádi Cup (don’t miss it! A highlight of the year offering a combination of Olympic courses, match races and a long distance race) takes place on 17-21. August – could possibly be combined with the Hungarian National Championships (early August).

See you,Craig