torstai 13th toukokuu 2021
Valentin Valchev from Bulgaria is making an old dream come true
Valentin Valchev from Bulgaria picked up his brand new Xp 50 Valena in Haderslev a couple of weeks ago and spent some days getting used to the boat at the yard, while he was waiting for two friends and landsmen to join him. The plan is clear – Valentin is about to make an old dream come true.
Since I was a kid, I have dreamed about cruising in Scandinavia. I wanted to explore the fjords and the peacefulness and the beauty with my own boat. When I was younger, I sailed some dinghy in Bulgaria, and later on I got a chance to crew on an X-332 in local races. It turned out quite successfully – we won a number of trophies – and I have always been certain that some day I wanted to buy my own X-Yacht. I wanted a boat that is fast, beautiful and strong. And safe of course. My choice went on the Xp 50 – says the Bulgarian with a humble smile.
The handover of the Xp 50 was handled by X-Yachts’ Torsten Bastiansen, who has been Valentin’s primary contact during the process. Torsten took me out sailing in order to dress me up properly for the handling of the boat. I remember the first happy smile on my face when we were logging 8 knots of speed in 7 knots of wind.
The people at X-Yachts did also help me with a detailed cruising plan for our Scandinavian cruise. So here we are, with at least two months of wonderful adventure ahead of us – said Valentin with a big smile when we met him at a stop next to the International Sailing Center in Aarhus. Same place as the Gold Cup takes place 26-28th August this year.
The cruise started with a couple of days around Funen. Then north to the island Samsø, followed by a couple of days in Aarhus with city walk and a visit in some of the museums. The three friends onboard Valena are all interested in the old Viking sagas, and they plan to visit a number of museums and exhibitions on the tour. After Aarhus, they sail to the popular islands Anholt and Læsø, and then to Skagen, the most northern point of Denmark, before going across to Gothenburg in Sweden.
Then comes some weeks in the Swedish archipelago before entering Oslo, which is one of many primary goals for the adventure. Valentin’s family will join the boat in Oslo for the cruise south of Norway and up to Stavanger, where the famous Lysefjord is waiting with all its beauty.
If time permits, we will sail back through the sea between Denmark and Sweden and visit Copenhagen before going south of Sweden to Stockholm. Only then, will we start on the journey through the Kiel Canal towards the Mediterranean with final destination being Burgas in Bulgaria.
It’s quite a bit colder here in Scandinavia than in Bulgaria, but we are being welcomed so warmly by the people and the peaceful nature here, that it really doesn’t matter – says Valentin Valchev. He owns a successful steel business in Bulgaria, but for the next couple of months, all his mind will be focused on enjoying life in his new Xp 50.