The World Sailing Federation (Isaf) has published the first international World Cup regattas for 2013. Kiel is no longer included. The date of Kiel Week does not fit in with the planned course of the World Cup season. This is to start in Europe in spring 2013 and continue in Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. This would have meant organising the Olympic part of Kiel Week in April at the latest.
Unthinkable for the organisers in Kiel. "We no longer even applied for World Cup status," said Head of Organisation Jobst Richter. "It's not a loss for Kiel Week. The World Cup is not accepted by the sailors and does not fit in with the traditional event in its current form." As an alternative, Kiel is endeavouring to establish a European Cup.
In future, the European World Cup races will be held in the French Mediterranean harbour of Hyères with the Semaine Olympique race and Palma de Mallorca with the Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta.
The Isaf World Cup was initiated in order to summarise the various top regattas worldwide in one classification and to present sailing in a more comprehensible and media-effective way with the World Cup winner. However, with the quasi-exclusion of Kiel Week, the World Cup has lost one of its main attractions.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
