Invitation

On behalf of the ÅLÄNSKA SEGELSÄLLSKAPET and FINNISH MELGES24 ASSOCIATION, we want to invite all fellow Melges 24 sailors to the 2004 Finnish Open Championship. We will do our best to offer you a high class Melges 24 venue. The championship regatta will also be a excellent opportunity to prepare your boat to the Worlds in Marstrand.

Mariehamn and Ålänska Segelsällskapet have a long tradition of sailing sports

The Åland Island Yacht Club (Åländska Segelsällskapet), founded in 1897, is one of the oldest yacht clubs in Finland. The club resides in the Western Harbour of Mariehamn where the club has its main marina.  On the island of Rödhmn 10 nm south of Mariehamn the club hosts a smaller marina in a genuine archipelago environment.

The spectacular archipelago of the Åland islands

The waters off Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland islands district, offer the Melges 24 sailors a totally new experience. The tricky winds of the archipelago gives the venue a extra spice. The dominating wind direction in the summer is from south to south-west. The velocity of wind has a variation from 0 to over 30 knots. Besides the facts mentioned, the oscillation of the wind are the typical sailing conditions outside Mariehamn.

Althought the city of Mariehamn is located on the Åland island, it´s connected to the mainland of Finland and Sweden with many options. The city of Mariehamn offers many advantages given by the perfect location. Mariehamn is easily reached by car, ferries, airplanes. Mariehamn is the destination for many ferry connections between the Finnish mainland, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, England etc. Besides the excellent ferry connections, Mariehamn offers numerous options to be reached by airplane from all over the world.