Things are also going well internationally for the Bundesliga's experienced league sailors: both German clubs came out on top in the third and final qualifier for the Champions League final in St. Moritz (15 to 18 August). What's more, they dominated the long, but somewhat low-sailing regatta weekend in Russia and entered the final as winners and runners-up. The Bavarian Yacht Club led the way, dominating the series in Russian waters and winning the test of strength with a four-point lead over Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen. The Austrian Union Yacht-Club Wolfgangsee sailed to third place. Six of the 20 participating teams made it through to the final cut.
The regatta had started with a forced break day that was too stormy, which was followed by two light-winded race days. This meant that only five flights could be completed by the final day. Then the light breeze became a little more constant and allowed three more rounds. The team from the Bavarian Yacht Club made concentrated use of the diet sailing programme. Skipper Julian Autenrieth said: "The conditions were really complicated with the light winds and the current. You just had to stay calm at all times. What we managed well were the starts in the current. As a result, we were often able to start in the top three. That made life easier for us."
On Friday, a dinner was held in St. Petersburg with the league clubs and the five crews of the Nord Stream Race, who have now completed their 1000 nautical mile Baltic Sea rally. The offshore classification was won by the Russian Leviathan Sailing Team ahead of the Kongelig Dansk Yachtclub with Hamburg sailing professional Jörg Riechers and the Swedish Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet. The German team from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein sailed to fourth place.
Here to see the results of the third qualifying round for the Champions League final.
Here to see the results of the Nord Stream Race.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
