128th Kiel Week: Four German aces take the sting: Heiko Kröger: "You can't sleep for a second in Kiel"

The first half of the 128th Kiel Week came to an end on the fjord on Tuesday under blue skies and bright sunshine. The capricious weather of the previous day, the black walls of cloud, the thunderstorms, the hail and the heavy rain were forgotten. Participants and organisers were in luck, even if they were challenged by the shifting winds. In addition, four German helmsmen won titles in the international classes. 2.4mR icon Heiko Kröger celebrated his 13th Kieler Woche victory. Despite his dominance, the 2000 Paralympics winner said after the last races on Tuesday in shifty winds: "Of course nothing is a given in Kiel. You can't sleep for a second." The most successful active sailor at this half of Kiel Week with 13 titles smiled when he was asked about record winner Wolfgang Hunger from Strande. Hunger has won Kiel Week 24 times, but will have to watch this year because his favourite discipline, the 505, has been removed from the programme for the time being. "I would have to win a lot more times and for a very long time to ever break Wolfgang's record," said Kröger, who competes for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in Hamburg.

Kieler Woche sports director Dirk Ramhorst was able to draw a happy half-time balance after the weather whirlwind the day before under blue skies: "There are three important days at Kieler Woche: the first, the half-time day and the final. Two of them were fantastic. A great day today rounded off the first half. Hopefully it will be the same next Sunday." Another German title in the international classes was won by Ole Schweckendiek from Kiel in the open classification of the Ilca 6. The 17-year-old is considered a top talent and said before his switch to the Olympic Ilca 7 in autumn: "The Olympic Games are already appealing as a goal." His role model is two-time Olympian and world champion Philipp Buhl: "He's been so successful for so long." In the OK Dinghy, André Budzien from the Schwerin Yacht Club came out on top against his long-time Danish rival Bo Petersen. In the futuristic foiling class Waszp (wasp), Adrien-Paul Farien from Kiel won with aplomb. Part two of Kiel Week begins on Wednesday with the Olympic sailors and ends on 26 June.

While the international sailors cleared the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre on Tuesday evening to make way for the Olympic sailors who will be starting the Kiel Week on Wednesday, the Kiel boat crews continued their races for the Kiel Cup. They sailed until after 8 pm. In the large ORC I & II group, Jens Kuphal and the "Intermezzo" crew defended their lead after five races, just ahead of Ralf Lässig's XP-44 "Xenia" and Michael Berghorn's Mills 45 Custom "Halbtrocken 4.5". In the ORC III & IV group, the frontrunners around Knut Freudenberg on the First 36.7 "Halbtrocken" also remained in the lead after five races with just five points to their name. "The sailors spent eight hours on the edge today, steering and manoeuvring. It was a hard and long day for them. There were many miles and a lot of sailing in good winds. You can hardly have a better time in Kiel," said overall race director Eckart Reinke. The Kiel Cup regatta will continue on Wednesday. Click here for all results of the 128th Kiel Week (please click!). Click here for all results of the 128th Kiel Week (please click!).