The Journey - Anders, René & 'Beluga'

The Journey is a portrait series that brings you closer to the Garmin Round Denmark Race. We follow sailors from different backgrounds, with different boat types and dreams, giving insight into their journey — both physically and mentally. The series is a collection of personal stories showing what drives them, the challenges they face, and the moments that leave lasting impressions.

Each portrait in the series is a small story about dedication, teamwork, and experiences at sea. We want to inspire future participants and give a vivid insight into what awaits them when they embark on this unique sailing adventure.

Welcome to “The Journey: A solo sailor’s experience around Denmark” — a window into Anders and Renés Garmin Round Denmark Race 2025 in their JPK 10.30 'Beluga'.

Speed, sound, and the power of the Baltic Sea

When Anders Johansen talks about the Garmin Round Denmark Race 2025, he immediately returns to the feeling of standing on the Baltic Sea in strong wind, where Beluga surfed for long stretches at 15–17 knots. Water cascaded from the hull, the rigging hummed, the rudder vibrated, and the wind sang around them. “It's incredibly fun to surf at 15–17 knots across big Baltic waves. The boat flies ahead at ferry-speed, and everything around you comes alive,” he explains. In those moments, the thought of the beating on the way home against the wind fades away — it’s all about being present and letting the elements work with you.

A precise time and a new way of sailing

Beluga completed the circumnavigation of Denmark in about 111 hours — almost exactly matching PredictWind’s 112-hour forecast. It secured a 2nd place in the medium class, but for Anders, the way you compete matters just as much as the result. “When you race based on boat length, it isn’t really racing. Luckily, the ORC system gives everyone a fair chance side by side with boats from other countries,” he says. Although Anders had sailed around Denmark five times before, 2025 was the first time Beluga did the entire distance in one continuous stretch — and the first time doublehanded. His regular Tuesday-night crewmate René proved to be the perfect partner. “It’s extreme sport, but at the same time it’s also just one wave after the next — and suddenly you’re all the way around,” he says.

650 nautical miles in stages – from calm to chaos

Even though 650 nautical miles sounds overwhelming, the journey comes in stages. At one point, they drifted off Ærø for 20 hours in complete calm before anchoring in 25 meters of water and going for a swim. The rest of the time was spent adjusting trim, making repairs, cooking, navigating the strategy with their shore support — or solving a Sudoku puzzle at sunset. On board, the boat must be sailed constantly. Even a tenth of a knot matters over 650 miles. Rest was taken as needed rather than on a fixed schedule, and in heavy weather both men were on deck in full gear no matter the hour.

Safety, sleep, and teamwork

Safety is a major factor when sailing on the Baltic Sea at night in 2–3 meter waves. “We have 100% trust that we would pick each other up if something went wrong,” Anders says. They carried everything from AIS/PLB and EPIRB to powerful lights, flares, and tools, and both were capable of fully operating the boat. Sleep, however, was a different story — Anders describes it as lying inside a metal barrel that is being shaken and hammered on. Still, rest came once the body had no more to give, and the sense of day and night quickly disappeared.

Unforgettable moments

Some moments were pure comedy — like when the autopilot remote was accidentally triggered under Anders’ stomach as he squeezed into his bunk, causing the boat to turn abruptly five times to port, launching René into the back corner of the cockpit, soaked and confused. And then there was the surreal experience of the guard vessel Arriver guiding them through the illuminated Femern construction zone in the middle of the night. “Arriver asked if we could increase speed. I had to reply: ‘Sorry, we are a sailing yacht – please not faster than 8 knots,’” Anders says. Other moments were more intense, like when the giant gennaker twisted around the forestay and fell into the water — 118 square meters of unwilling sea anchor.

Community and gratitude

One of the highlights was meeting new and old sailing friends before the start — all ages, all backgrounds, all united by the same mission: to round Denmark. And when the journey was over, gratitude took over. Anders extends a special thanks to his family, friends, their SoMe support team, their strategy hotline, and to Aarhus International Sailing Center for a well-executed event. As he puts it: “You get a completely new sense of Denmark’s size when you see it in one continuous stretch from the sea.”

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