Bundesliga: With consistency to the top of the table: NRV again on course for the title

The north was rocked by the south at this league weekend: at the fourth summit of the first division teams, the Munich Yacht Club with helmsman Manuel Wunderle, Julius Neszvecsko, Sebastian Frenzer and Jannik Pöhlmann came out on top ahead of the local heroes from OneKiel with helmsman Magnus Simon and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) in the former Olympic sailing area off Kiel-Schilksee. The latter had two well-known helmsmen in the sailing quartet, David Chapman and Tobias Schadewaldt. The Berlin Yacht Club sailed to fourth place in Kiel ahead of the Württemberg Yacht Club. The NRV (15 points) thus defended a four-point lead in the table ahead of OneKiel (19 points) and two clubs equal on points, Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen and Chiemsee Yacht-Club (both 26 points).

The key to the Hanseatic team's top position ahead of the home finale from 8th to 10th October on Hamburg's Outer Alster was and is their consistency: in the previous league matches, the NRV had no drop-outs, finishing fourth, sixth, second and third. The up-and-comers and high-flyers from the OneKiel club have achieved their remarkable chasing position in a different way: The top positions 1, 1 and 2 had only been encumbered by a 15th place in Berlin. An exciting duel for the title can now be expected for the decision in Hamburg, in which the four-time record champions from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein will start as hosts and favourites and have their sights set on their fifth club championship after 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

"Consistency is the key to our success so far," said NRV Managing Director and league team manager Klaus Lahme. The NRV starts the decider with its four-point cushion ahead of the promoted and high-flyers from OneKiel with helmsman Magnus Simon. "The four points are worth a lot," said NRV helmsman Tobias Schadewaldt, "we are competing at home and the fourth place we have to achieve is within our capabilities. Apart from the slip-up, OneKiel was the best team this year. But it's our consistency that has now put us in the lead. And we have a broad, strong squad. We had three helmsmen in action. Klaus Lahme also played a big part in the overall performance. Not least because he keeps bringing new people into the squad. The work of Hinnerk Müller as the boat manager should not be underestimated either. He coordinates the weekly training sessions. That may not seem so important to some, but it is."

Schadewaldt - one of three strong helmsmen in the NRV league team alongside Florian Haufe and David Chapman - will also be steering on the NRV pontoons in front of his home crowd in the final. All league observers know that he can do this very well. That he is even better when he is annoyed was shown on Saturday, when his team took two first places as a result of an extremely controversial early start disqualification. Even the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist in the 49er was able to smile again after his understandable indignation. "We now have a great overall starting position for the final," says Klaus Lahme. "Especially when you consider how things looked after the second of the four match days: OneKiel had two wins and Überlingen two second places. The points gap was already large at first. We then communicated very intensively and told ourselves to stay cool. We brought calm and confidence to the team. Of course, the experience we have in the team also plays an important role."

The reigning champions from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club were unable to improve on their previous victory on their home turf in Berlin on the Wannsee in Kiel on this fourth weekend and slipped back to sixth place in the table. The red lantern of the tail light hangs in the stern of the Lübecker Yacht-Club, which is in serious danger of relegation and is in 18th and last place in the table behind the Seglervereinigung 1903 (56 points) and the Potsdamer Yacht Club (62 points) with 65 points.

Click here for the Bundesliga 1 table.

In the 2nd German Sailing League, Mühlenberger Segel-Club (11 points) from Hamburg, which has already won the eSailing Club Championship this season, is third in the table behind Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen (9 points) and Joersfelder Segel-Club (10 points) after just two regattas in a season overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. The leading trio, who are very close together, are being followed at a respectful distance by the Konstanzer Yacht-Club (16 points) and the Akademischer Segler-Verein Warnemünde (17 points). The winners in Kiel this weekend were Seglervereinigung Itzehoe ahead of Konstanzer Yacht-Club, Joersfelder Segel-Club, Mühlenberger Segel-Club and Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen. Click here for the second league table and the standings ahead of the final in Hamburg, where 36 clubs in both leagues will be fighting for titles, Champions League participation, promotion or relegation.

Click here for the table of the 2nd Bundeslia.