In 1855 english engineers from Lowestoft, working for the Flensburg-Husum railroad came up with the idea to have a Regatta including ferryboats, rowingboats - and for the first time in the Baltics Sailboats. In 1855 Flensburg belonged to the State of Slesvig, which was part of the Danish national State, so the Danish King Frederik VII donated a silver drinking horn therby making the Sailing race
officially the Race for the Kings Trophy. Flensburg was decorated by rows of flagpoles festooned with green leaves, conons were fired every hour and spactators gathered around the boats and on the high grounds surrounding the Flensburg Fjord to watch this novel event. The wind was fresh at first, getting more and more fierce during the race and unfortunately the boat in front, the cutter COSAK capsized in a gust and 3 people drowned. This tragic incident is probably the main reason this race was abandoned and was never raced again until 2005, 150 years after the first Regatta when the Flensburg Classic Yacht Club raced again to conmemorate the Regatta of 1855. From the 30th of August-2nd of September 2012 there will be the Kongelic Classic Regatta to celebrate it again. This Regatta is a Long Distance Regatta going from Flensburg via Sønderborg to Aabenraa and the other way around in 2013.
