After the participants in the Aalregatta had already been battered by wind forces of up to 8 last Saturday, many regattas fell victim to an approaching cold front yesterday afternoon. It swept across the fjord with heavy squalls and thunderstorms.
Around half past six on Monday evening, Schilksee and the festival grounds around Kiel's inner fjord were flooded. Torrential rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, caused visitors to Kiel Week to flee under canopies, tents and stages. Anyone who didn't make it in time was soaked to the skin within seconds. The weather also caused chaos on the sailing area at the Olympic Centre. Some of the athletes had their hands full trying to secure their sports equipment parked on land from flying away.
Fortunately, the regatta organisers had called the sailors back from the courses early. As a result, there were no major incidents on the water. Nevertheless, the many race cancellations are a headache for the organisers. However, they hope to get at least enough races in each class to ensure that there will be enough for a single result. This could work out, as the prospects for today look quite positive.
Before the storm put an end to yesterday's regatta day, there were many races worth seeing, some of which ended with surprising results, others with expected ones. For example, Wolfgang Hunger from Kiel in the 505 took the lead in his class after the third race and is now on the verge of his 14th Kiel Week triumph. However, this would not be enough to replace record holder Gerd Eiermann. The Kielzugvogel sailor from Duisburg has already stood at the top of the podium in Kiel 15 times. This year, however, another victory is still at risk. After yesterday, Eiermann was only eight points behind in second place behind Thomas Schiffer from Krefeld.
The Dane Jörgen Boysen-Moller, on the other hand, is currently living up to his role as favourite. His record in the FD so far: five first places in five races.
The field of Bénéteau 25s caused quite a stir on the lake course, where they make up the largest single field this year with a total of 23 boats. It's a family affair at the top of the class: Oliver Schwall with the "HDW II" is in the lead ahead of René Schwall with the "Bénéteau I". The former joint Tornado world champions fought fiercely against each other. However, neither of them were entirely satisfied with the regatta organisers' decision to let the small, fast speedsters sail outside on the sea course as part of the Kiel Cup together with the other big ships. "We want to sail instead of constantly having to wait for the bigger yachts," complained René Schwall. Instead of just two races, five races could easily have been organised.
Speaking of big ships: Old acquaintances also lead the groups in the International German Championship (IDM): Horst Mann's "L & M Hispaniola" (IMS 1) with tactician Thomas Jungblut on board is right at the front. Group two is currently dominated by Jan Hinrichs' three-time title winner "Lollipop" (IMS 2). And in groups 3 and 4, Detlef Amlong's "Froschkönig" has taken the lead.
The detailed results of the previous races are available on the Internet at www.kieler-woche.de. The eleven Olympic classes start on Wednesday.
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
