Ten Lead Changes in 24 Hours

Garmin Round Denmark Race is known for being one of northern europes toughest distance-sailing challenges, but the race have a life of its own, and last year, it almost turned into matchracing.

Read about Marc Weiss experience aboard Joy, who were taking turns with Tri, Frida and Beluga for first place.

After a grueling, high-speed transit to Bornholm and a long, close-hauled night passage to the waters north of Rügen, we pushed toward Gedser. We rounded Gedser at 19:45 - five and a half hours behind the leading boat, Tri, and nearly three hours behind the top monohull, Frida. The chase was on.

The first lead change came around 20:00, as Frida took a tactical line closer to the coast and overtook Tri - temporarily.

Five hours later, Tri reclaimed the lead and extended their advantage over Frida. Meanwhile, aboard Joy, we had closed the gap to just two hours. The race was far from over.

As the leading boats neared Ærø, they fell victim to a windless Marstal Bay. Seizing the opportunity, we plotted a southern course around the bay, aiming to bypass both stranded boats. With the sun rising over Langeland, we knew the leaders would soon be in sight.

Two hours later—less than twelve hours after beginning our chase at Gedser - we overtook Frida. Tri was now visible, still becalmed. But our luck soon ran out: we, too, were trapped in the stillness.

The next five hours were spent drifting, searching for the next breath of wind. When it finally arrived, the race reignited. The third lead change came just after noon as we slipped past Tri. The advantage was short-lived. Over the next four hours, the lead swapped hands seven more times - sometimes within minutes, amidst intense, tactical maneuvers. At times, the distance beween our two boats were close enough to hold a conversation, without shouting.

As we passed Årø and Bågø, the final lead change left us trailing Tri. The breeze freshened, and we couldn’t keep pace and had to watch them pull away.

While we battled for the lead, Frida had quietly closed in, with Beluga not far behind. Entering Lillebælt, our focus shifted from offense to defense.

Another long night lay ahead. Fortunately, the positions held, and as dawn broke, we approached Aarhus with pride and Joy—proud of a hard-fought race, but tinged with disappointment; after 111 hours of sailing, we had lost by just 36 minutes.

Registration for GRDR26 is open. Sailors can secure their entry via https://www.garminrounddenmarkrace.com/event-details/garmin-round-denmark-race-2026 and receive a 10% discount by using the code GRDR10OFF at sign-up.