We don't know why the Kékszalag (Blue Ribbon) is blue. But we do know why it is the most popular sailing regatta. Since 1934 anyone can participate. The goal is to be the first who sails around Balaton. The legendary sailboats and their captains have the best chance to win, and every year a huge crowd follows their moves from Balatonfüred's Tagore sétány.
In spite of the fact that there is no sea in Hungary, sailing is quite popular in the country. World Championship for the Flying Dutchman class, European- and World Championships for the laser class and other prestigious races are organized on Lake Balaton every year. There is one competition above all, though. Even those, who have never stepped aboard a sailboat have already heard of Kékszalag (Blue Ribbon) Sailing Regatta. Balatonfüred is full of spectators during the race with everyone standing awestruck at the moment of the start. Kékszalag is very popular, because it is the oldest sailing regatta in Hungary, and the concept is pretty simple: who can sail around Balaton in the shortest time?
If you are interested in the life of a sailing team, watch András Kollman's movie titled A vitorlázó (meaning: The Sailor) which is on Spektrum TV, too. It is about 10-time winner Farkas Litkey and his crew preparing for Kékszalag, but also introduces the viewer to other sailboats, ships and the sailors of Balaton.
The regatta was organized in 1934 for the first time, and the idea has remained unchanged since. The ships' class and type doesn't matter, everyone starts at the same time in Balatonfüred. The boats first sail to eastward until they reach Balatonkenese then head for the next check point, the buoy at Siófok. After they go through the Tihanyi-cső, they turn back at Keszthely and sail to the finish at Balatonfüred. The first sailboat which completes this 150 km long route wins the blue ribbon of Balaton. The coordinators always choose the regatta's date depending on the full moon. They pick the closest weekend to July's full moon, so the Moon would shine for the night sailing. The competitors have 48 hours to complete the route, but if there is no wind, even two days' time could prove too short. It was the case in the past few years, and the weather forecast predicts the same for this year. It's nerve-killing to see that it's getting darker and you're not even close to the Tihanyi-cső.
The race is always full of surprises which make the life of competitors quite difficult. The sailors are still having nightmares about 2010, when midges flooded Balaton; everything was covered with their liquid, the insects were everywhere, so the participants could hardly open their eyes. In 2011 at 10PM a huge wind storm struck near Szigliget, and most of the sailboats found themselves in big trouble. Rescue took all night, but fortunately no one suffered serious injuries. The next day the water's surface was covered with wrecked boats and their debris. Last year Fifty-Fifty, the huge catamaran with two masts was the biggest sensation. The catamaran, which was built in Hungary, completed the race in 10 hours and 34 minutes. This meant that it broke the race record which had been set by Nemere II and stood for over 50 years.
Fifty-Fifty is not allowed to participate this year, because for the last time ever only the ordinary sailboats with one hull can enter the race. Since 2001 multihull vessels have been allowed to compete every second year, because ordinary sailboats don't stand a chance against their speed. From next year, organizers will abolish the restriction, and multihulls can attend at Kékszalag every year.
A wide range of competitors enter the competition each year, irrespective of whether they are professionals or just casual sailors. Friends and families enter for the sake of fun, and there are many competitors too, who come to win. There are prizes in many categories, but the most prestigious race is among the professional sailing teams for the ultimate first place.
