Dirk Ramhorst, can Kiel Week still be called the world's biggest regatta week 141 years after its premiere in 1882?
In any case. Large fields have always characterised Kiel Week and continue to do so. I think it's going to be a great week!
Kiel is celebrating several major events this year: On 9 June was the Ocean Race fly-by with Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia and Team Guyot. Kiel Week begins on 17 June. The ORC World Championship will be celebrated on the fjord at the beginning of August. Will Kiel Week benefit from the super sailing year?
Yes, of course. Of course, the Ocean Race fly-by first of all promoted Kiel Sailing City, but Kiel Week is one of its flagship events. The visit of the Ocean Race fleet on 9 June brought back memories of the victory of the "Illbruck" in 2002, when hundreds of thousands stood on the beach and a goosebump atmosphere prevailed.
Where can fans of Kiel Week best experience the sport of sailing?
If I want to experience Kiel Week and see something cool, then I go to the Olympic Centre. There you come into direct contact with the sailors. Thanks to strong partners, the sport is presented in a varied and lively way.
How big is the team that organises and runs Kiel Week?
There is the professional organisation team around Sven Christensen from Point of Sailing. Then there is the inner circle - perhaps 16 or 17 people who form the regatta committee with the various departments. And 350 to 400 volunteers on land and on the water. Kiel Week is organised by three clubs: the Kieler Yacht-Club, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee.
Is Kiel Week doing well for the 129th edition?
Yes, but you can't rest on your laurels. We have great partners and will take another big step in marketing, because with the TV station Sport 1 in conjunction with Audi, we not only broadcast Kieler Woche TV on the Internet and via the Kiel channels every day, but also have three hours of live TV on their channels. That has never happened before.
Do you still have dreams for Kiel Week?
The first dream is now coming true: we are back in the World Cup and want to stabilise there.
Kiel forms a strong unit with the other organisers of the classic European regatta weeks ...
We understand each other blindly, we are a dream team with the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, the Semaine Olympique Française and the Dutch, represented this year by the World Championships of all Olympic sailing disciplines in The Hague. We have revitalised the World Cup together. With our history, great programme and large fields, we provide added value. The world federation is in a state of upheaval and reorganisation. That's why what we do through the Regatta Week Classics is hugely important in defining the sport.
What other tasks do you see for Kiel Week?
One major topic is the planned Baltic Sea National Park. We want to show that Kiel Week and sailing in the Baltic Sea are not in conflict with environmental protection and nature conservation.
As the head of around 1,000 employees in a large company, you have a very demanding job, as Vice President of the DSV you are responsible for competitive sport and you are the sporting director of Kiel Week. How do you manage it all?
I had a challenging year in the association because I took over the vice presidency at the same time as my new job. I had underestimated that. I haven't got as far as I had actually hoped. In future, I would like to bring in more contacts from industry and business in order to create even more prospects for the athletes. Working for Kiel Week is my fountain of youth. I draw the energy from it that helps me in other areas of my job and also in the association.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
