András Holczhauser, Secretary General of the Hungarian Sailing Association (MVSZ), announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the weather will be suitable, with a brisk, strong wind expected for Thursday morning, but the field is expected to start at 9 a.m. as usual.

Registration for the Blue Ribbon is still open until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and the Secretary General expects over 500 teams and around 2,800 athletes, despite the damaged boats. 

Regarding the accompanying programs, he explained that the Audi Speed ​​Challenge competition for the fastest boats will be held on Friday afternoon, with the awards ceremony taking place on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Gyógy Square. 

The Secretary General drew attention to the fact that buoy crossings can be more dangerous in strong winds, and therefore asked both competitors and spectators following the competition from the water to keep a safe distance from each other.

László Gellér, the president of the MVSZ, spoke about the storms of the past few days and thanked those competitors who, despite the difficulties, came together to somehow be able to start the 57th Blue Ribbon. 

He emphasized that in strong winds, different tactics are needed than usual. László Gellér drew attention to the importance of wearing life jackets and asked everyone to take care of their health during the race.

István Bóka, the mayor of Balatonfüred, said that their city is the cradle and stronghold of sailing, and the Blue Ribbon is part of Balatonfüred's image and identity. The Blue Ribbon is more than a competition for the sailing community, it is a Balaton celebration, said the mayor, who wished good winds and a safe race to those taking to the water.

Márton Józsa, the helmsman of last year's winner and Blue Ribbon record-holder MLS Raiffeisen Fifty-Fifty, expects a fast and exciting race. He expressed regret that many boats were eliminated due to the storm, and said that they and the Fifty-Fifty ran into an underwater object on Sunday, but were able to repair the damage. 
 

He added that he believes there will be a chance to beat the record time of 5 hours 3 minutes 56 seconds, which they have held since 2023, by up to half an hour.

Zsolt Kalocsai, representing the former Blue Ribbon-winning Sailing Team RSM, said that such strong winds are no longer pleasant for anyone, but they expect a close race with Fifty-Fifty.

Zoltán Petrányi, helmsman of the also previous winner Audax Django, indicated that they have two catamarans on the water – the Django and the boat previously competing under the name Prospex, which they acquired since the last race and was damaged in the storm – and they will decide in the afternoon which one to start with.

Raffica's helmsman, Zsolt Király, said at the press conference that both of their boats - René Raffica and Raffica - were damaged by the storm, and they built a boat based on their third boat, Sponsor Wanted, which was also damaged and was taken out of their hangar. They will compete with a joint team of young and older competitors. 

His son, Dávid Király, spoke about how it was difficult for their young team to accept that their boat, René Raffica, was damaged, but that they had the time and motivation, and then added resolutely that "we have already pulled the boat out of a deeper ditch."

The Blue Ribbon is Europe's longest lake-crossing sailing race, with sailors covering 155 kilometres as the crow flies over the course of 48 hours. 
 

After starting in Balatonfüred, they will sail past Balatonkenese, Siófok and the Tihany Strait, before turning around at Keszthely and returning to Balatonfüred.

Farkas Litkey has won the Blue Ribbon the most: thirteen times. Now sailing fans and enthusiasts at Balaton can't wait to see what happens this year.

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