128th Kiel Week: Full house and blissful weather at the start: "Where is Mr Hunger?"

The 128th Kiel Week got underway with a full sailing programme in glorious weather. On the sea courses and in the dinghy classes, the first of around 4,000 participants competed in 42 races on the first Saturday of the world's largest nine-day sailing series. The opening of the sailing competitions was celebrated at the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre by City President Hans-Werner Tovar and Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer with the six medal winners from the Olympic Games in Japan, Kieler Woche Sports Director Dirk Ramhorst and Wolfram Diener, Head of Messe Düsseldorf. Ulf Kämpfer said: "The highlight for me will be the windjammer parade. I will be on board the 'Gorch Fock'. It's finally possible again." Regarding the disinvitation of Russian naval vessels from Kiel Week, he said: "Russia has decided to exclude itself from the international community. We can therefore not pretend that nothing has happened during Kiel Week."

Parallel to the official opening, the athletes in ten international classes got underway on seven courses, while the Olympic classes will not be challenged until Wednesday. As early as nine o'clock, Ralf Paulsen, head of the racecourse, sounded the first sound signal of Kiel Week with the announcement of the opening race for the large keelboats. Ten seconds before the start, the brave crews set the gennaker or spinnaker. But the wind angle turned out to be very sharp and shifty. The red-grey "X-Day" was thrown to one side on the right-hand side of the course, had to turn away and headed for the approaching shore. The crew struggled with the wind and eventually dropped the large sheet. However, the upwind sails did not prove to be a disadvantage. On the contrary: on the outer course, the team of owner Walter Watermann (Kiel) passed the competition all the way to the Friedrichsort lighthouse, out into the Bay of Kiel and on towards Eckernförde. The first yachts reached the finish line quickly. The largest ship in the Aalregatta was also the fastest. At 12.35 pm, the 23 metre long "Calypso" of Gerhard Clausen (Kieler Yacht-Club) crossed the finish line off Eckernförde. The last teams are expected by the evening. All of them will be traditionally rewarded with a smoked eel.

After two years of coronavirus postponement to September, Germany's best-known regatta series will once again be held on its regular date, the third full week in June. In the 2.4 mR class, serial winner Heiko Kröger took the lead straight away with a second place and two wins on the day. In the 29er Euro Cup, Carl Krause and Max Georgi from the Rostock sailing club "Citybootshafen" are among the leaders after day one with two wins in three races. Last year's 29er winners Anton and Johann Sach got better and better with 5th, 3rd and 1st place and will be in seventh place on Sunday. With André Budzien in the OK Dinghy and Adrien-Paul Farien, two other German sailors were able to take the lead in their classes at the start. The other six international classes are also initially led by international participants. Click here for all Kiel Week results (please click!).

Wolfgang Hunger: "I have hope for a comeback next year"

However, the most frequently asked question on the opening day of the world's largest regatta series was not about possible winners, but about a well-known local hero: "Where is Mr Hunger?" Three-time Olympian, multiple 470 and 505 World Champion and Kieler Woche record winner Wolfgang Hunger, who has already won Kieler Woche 24 times on his own doorstep in Strande, is condemned to watch this year after his favourite discipline, the 505, was temporarily cancelled. "That's a great pity, especially with such beautiful sailing weather as today. But I have hope for a comeback next year," said the exceptional sailor. He would have loved to fight for his 25th title 140 years after the Kieler Woche première in 1882. "That's a nice number, of course," said the 61-year-old with a smile and instead planned a family outing on the water. Hunger said that he had been able to prepare for his non-participation for months, which is why it wasn't too painful. "I'm a realist. I'll just go to work next week." And Hunger also said this: "We have to work as a class to make sure we're back next year." The scenario is somewhat reminiscent of the Olympic cancellation for the Soling, as a result of which Jochen Schümann was unable to add to his impressive medal haul of three golds and one silver due to a lack of suitable boat classes. For the time being, record hunter Hunger is now involuntarily sitting on the spectator's bench at Kiel Week. The provisional cancellation of Kiel Week for the 505s was preceded by a number of "eruptions" in the relationship between the class and the Kiel Week organisers. Kieler Woche regatta director Dirk Ramhorst's diplomatic explanation of the status quo: "There were unrealisable demands from the class, but a comeback in the future is certainly possible." It would be tantamount to the comeback of class and Kieler Woche king Wolfgang Hunger.

Paul Kohlhoff celebrated a happy Kiel comeback on this first Saturday in the Olympic centre of his home turf. He stood on the opening stage with his Nacra 17 Olympic foresailor Alica Stuhlemmer and the other four Japan medallists Tina Lutz, Susann Beucke, Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel. Kohlhoff reported before his bronze crew's restart: "I became a father five weeks ago and I'm very happy. That's what I've always wanted." You can watch the daily live TV of the 128th Kieler Woche here (please click!). On Sunday, the Ilca-6 races will be shown from 10.45 am. On Monday the Waszps are on the programme, on Tuesday again the exciting Euro Cup of the 29ers, where the strong German Olympic youngsters will be fighting for podium places, before the Olympic classes take centre stage from Wednesday onwards.