Haspa Hamburg Smashes the Garmin Round Denmark Race Record

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, at 03:33:34, the German JV 52 Haspa Hamburg crossed the finish line off Aarhus International Sailing Center as the first boat to complete the Garmin Round Denmark Race 2026.

After 680 nautical miles on the GRDR Inshore route, the clock stopped at 85 hours, 33 minutes and 34 seconds. The German crew thereby improved the previous record by 5 hours 39 minutes and 45 seconds.

The Garmin Round Denmark Race started from Aarhus on Friday, 24 July, and Haspa Hamburg showed strong pace from the beginning. The fully crewed yacht, with 12 sailors onboard, remained among the frontrunners throughout the race and delivered an impressive performance in the crew’s first appearance in the event.

“It is an impressive record time, especially from a yacht and crew competing in the Garmin Round Denmark Race for the first time,” says Regatta Manager Per Hjerrild Hansen.

Despite almost four days of nonstop racing, the crew were surprisingly fresh when they arrived back in Aarhus. They were welcomed by the race management with croissants, coffee, champagne and draft beer.

Four Days of High-Speed Racing in Demanding Conditions

The GRDR Inshore route takes the fleet from Aarhus through the Kattegat to Skagen, then south through the Øresund and into the Baltic Sea around Bornholm and Christiansø. From there, the course continues past Gedser, through the South Funen Archipelago and north through the Little Belt before returning to Aarhus.

This year’s fleet has faced demanding conditions, including strong winds, changing currents and technical challenges. Several boats have been forced to retire, while Haspa Hamburg managed to maintain speed and keep both the yacht and crew performing all the way around Denmark.

The previous record of 91 hours, 13 minutes and 19 seconds was set in 2024 by Michael Møllmann and Hansen Sailing Team onboard Frostboksen.

Since then, a Garmin watch has been waiting in a glass display case at Aarhus International Sailing Center for the next record holder.

Two Garmin Watches for the Skipper

Skipper Max Gärtner receives one Garmin watch as skipper of the first boat to finish and another for setting the new race record. The record watch will be engraved with the date and finishing time of the historic performance.

Each crew member will also receive a Garmin dry bag and a GRDR26 tin mug.