RORC Baltic Sea Race

The start date of the 2026 RORC Baltic Sea Race has been confirmed as 8th August. This biennial offshore race in the Baltic Sea is jointly organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) together with the Ocean Racing Alliance (ORA). Since it’s inception, in 2022, it has become a firm favourite in the offshore racing calendar and a great option in a non-Fastnet race year.

The Baltic Sea Race is a 630nm offshore race starting and finishing off Helsinki, Finland. The course is an anti-clockwise circuit of the Baltic Sea with the rarity of rounding three lighthouses as well as the Swedish island of Gotland. The proximity of land at all of the marks of the course provides strategic options and the lack of strong tides prevents the course from becoming one-sided.

In August, the Baltic Sea is a magical environment with around 20 hours of daylight. This semi-enclosed sea has minimal tidal range but wind-driven currents can produce waves of 1.5 metres.  The typical conditions in summer months are 8-10 knots from the west-southwest. Summer storms are rare, but conditions can change rapidly with squalls from thermal difference in land and sea temperature.