The first half of the 126th Kiel Week with the international classes, the German Sailing Championship for ORC yachts and the fun and family races on the opening weekend has been successfully completed. The first major international sailing event since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has so far got through the programme without any bad medical news. Head of organisation Dirk Ramhorst said on Tuesday evening at the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre: "We have managed to get the first part of the event over the line. We were not informed of any corona-related anomalies. The Olympic half starts on Thursday and hopefully the last stone will be lifted from my heart after that."
In sporting terms, Kieler Woche record winner Wolfgang Hunger from Strande and his co-sailor Holger Jess from Eckernförde characterised the first four days of the world's largest regatta series with their new record in their ninth joint triumph. With his 23rd (!) title, exceptional sailor Hunger once again improved his own record, which is likely to remain unbeatable for the foreseeable future. With his long-time sailing partner Holger Jess, it was the ninth joint triumph for Wolfgang Hunger, who celebrated the victory in the evening in a small family circle at the "Kleiner KYC" in Strande. The 60-year-old three-time Olympian and seven-time world champion in the 470 and 505 classes said: "It's not always easy to win a Kiel Week. That's why I'm happy about every title." In the total of ten international classes, German teams came out on top six times in Strander Bucht and on the fjord. The other four victories were secured by two Danish teams and one Dutch and one Polish team.
The final day was a little painful for 505 World Champion and J/70 helmsman Claas Lehmann, who had started the final J/70 races with his team in the lead, but had to concede defeat to his NRV team mate Michael Grau and his team led by tactician David Chapman in the heated final duel after an unfortunate gybe. After a total of eleven races and four wins on the day, a convincing tactical manoeuvre and fourth place was enough for the Grau crew to win the Kieler Woche on equal points ahead of Lehmann's crew. While Martin Menzner completed his dozen Kieler Woche titles with his J/80 crew, Hamburg J/24 helmsman Stefan Karsunke and his team from Blankeneser Segel-Club were back on top of the Kieler Woche podium for the first time since 2006. Batbold Gruner, a 16-year-old student from Zwischenahner Meer, won the Laser 4.7. In the Musto Skiff, Iver Ahlmann from Kieler Yacht-Club made Strander Bucht his playground, passed the rodeo rides in the one-man trapeze gennaker skiff with flying colours and secured his second victory after 2011. Contender World Champion Max Billerbeck from Wassersportverein Kollmar, more of a specialist for light and medium winds, was also satisfied with third place in view of the challenging winds. Søren Dulong Andreasen from Denmark won the Kieler Woche Contender title.
The "Sportsfreunde" win despite a cold start
Axel Seehafer's X-41 "Sportsfreund" with skipper Gordon Nickel from Flensburger Segel-Club won the International German Sailing Championship in the large ORC I and II divisions ahead of Jens Kuphal's modified Landmark 43 "Intermezzo" from Berliner Yacht-Club and Torsten Bastiansen's X-41 "Xen" from Flensborg Yacht Club, which finished second and third on the podium on the final day. For the "sporting friends" and 2019 European champions, it was a success after a cold start: the partially newly formed team, which was strengthened by MSC scion Till Krüger as German eSailing Club Champion (MSC) and highly talented son of Kieler Woche veteran Frank Schönfeldt as tactician, had only taken their boat out of the Knierim Hall shortly before Kieler Woche, where it had been waiting for this assignment since the 2019 European Championship victory. A Friday training session before the start of Kieler Woche was enough to secure the championship title, which the vast majority of the ORC fleet categorised as "highly deserved". And Till Krüger has now claimed his second title in the difficult 2020 regatta year. In Division III, Kai Mares' crew on the Kiel Italia 9.98 "Immac Fram" secured the IDM victory ahead of Knut Freundenberg's First 36.7 "Halbtrocken" (Flensburg) and the Danish "Stony VIII". Jan Schmidt's crew on the Flensburg Melges 24 OD "Bostik Bad Boys" left no doubt as to their dominance in the ORC IV best in seven wins in nine races. After the changeover and rest day on Wednesday, Kiel Week will continue on Thursday with the second Olympic half-time, outstanding fields and exciting pre-Olympic decisions.
All results of the Kiel Week are available here.
