Page 40 - Folk Boat Year Book 2021

A Weekend in Kertiminde, Denmark-August 2020 – Simon Osgood

As I write this, we are into our second sponsored by Illbruck, and most recently
comprehensive lock down and looking sails with the US team ‘War Canoe’ which
forward to what 2021 will bring, campaign a Melges 24 and Etchell
preferable fair winds and some sailing. To Internationally. I get the feeling the local
use this time constructively we thought Kertiminde fleet have welcomed him
we would try and contribute an article to open arms to the Folkboat, as he brings a
the annual UK Folkboat association renewed enthusiasm and organisation.
magazine, as 2020 was not jam packed Hence the weekend was superbly run,
with activity. with meaningful insight and data
gathering.
During the ‘break’ in 2020 we had a
small window of opportunity to get away, Post the briefing the Saturday consisted
and we took it with open arms to go to of all boats having their base rigging
Kertimende, in the first week of August. numbers measured and compiled into a
It turned out to be the hottest weekend spreadsheet to analyse later that
of the year there, and the Danes had weekend. As for us we weren’t there to
organised a Nordic Folkboat training participate, we were there to observe
weekend. and enjoy our weekend away. Our
morning consisted of an extremely
We are fortunate enough to have friends competitive family game of mini golf,
in Jens and Leisa Thuroe, whose house is located just beside the marina. Even
by the beach and yacht harbour, this family mini golf brings a level of
made the stay even more enjoyable. competitiveness where there are long
silences for those who don’t win. I found
The weekend consisted of a briefing for the silence from my fellow competitors
all participants on the Friday night by the quite enjoyable.
organiser, who was Morten Henriksen
and a newcomer to the fleet. It is Saturday afternoon, and some 14 boats
probably important to give some came out to train. Start after start was
background to Morten, who has an completed and then start after start and
illustrious sailing CV. He was runner up to a beat to the first windward mark. Four
the great danish sailor Jesper Bank in the hours on the water with a crew filming
Soling Olympic qualifiers back in 1992. set up and trim for everyone, was
He then went on to participate in the analysed when we returned to shore. We
World Match Race series for many years, had been leant a Nordic cruiser to go out
on the water to watch for ourselves the
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