Promises speed party in the Oslo Fjord when UIM Offshore comes to Norway
Many probably remember Bjørn Rune Gjelsten ravaging the Oslo Fjord at the beginning of the new millennium in his «Spirit of Norway» Class 1 offshore racing. Gjelsten has put the boat on winter storage for good, but promises a lot of speed and excitement when the world championship in UIM Offshore Class 3D is held in mid-July in Larvik.
Together with the International Boating Federation, it has been actively working to establish the 3D class as a series in several countries and this year is the first time where it is three rounds. The first round took place this weekend in Rodi in Italy, the second takes place in Tvedestrand between 6 and 10 July, before the coronation of this year’s world champion takes place in Larvik between 13 and 16 July.
Norway is represented
Although Gjelsten is no longer involved in boat racing, Norway is still represented. Erik Sundblad and Jan Trygve Braaten are both former world champions in other classes, but are riding together for the first time in the world championship.
– I have worked with Jan Trygve for several years in the class XCAT, which is the largest offshore class, so I know what he is capable of. So this will be exciting, says organizer Lars Inge Graver who represents the Outboard Club in Larvik to Finansavisen.
In addition to the last round of the Offshore Class 3D championship, Larvik also hosts the UIM 3A and 3X world championships as well as the Nordic championships in class 3J.
– Larvik is a perfect arena for proper offshore racing with good opportunities for the public to watch the race up close and experience action with healthy boats, says Graver.
According to Graver, a lot will happen around the event itself, including inner chefs from Michelin restaurants and SmåbyLarm. In addition, there are also plans to arrange a temporary car and boat exhibition in the center of Larvik, but exactly those plans have not been nailed down yet.