For the crew of the "X-Day", the finish on Saturday morning marked a doubly good day. The GP42 not only took the line honours for the first boat to cross the finish line. The team led by helmsman Lars Hückstedt from Plön also celebrated the 59th birthday of their owner Walter Watermann from Dortmund. The third piece of good news came in the afternoon: The "X-Day also won the ORC group A&B in the Silver Ribbon of the Kieler Woche".
At midnight there was a jibe instead of champagne" (Lars Hückstädt)
Top of the list of smaller ORC C&D yachts was the "Patent 4" of Jürgen Klinghardt (Lübeck). There will be further winners' trophies at the awards ceremony in the evening on the Audi stage in the Olympic Centre for the "Dwinger 2.0" of Jens Dwinger (ORC Double-Handed) and the "Hunky Dory" of Martin Görge from Strande.
"At midnight, however, there was a jibe instead of champagne. We were sailing at 18 knots off Svendborgsund and had to make the manoeuvre," reported Lars Hückstädt, "but we sang and popped the cork half an hour later." Walter Watermann was delighted with his special birthday: "They gave me a great celebration and sang really well."
Unlit buoys as a challenge for the navigators
But above all, Watermann and his crew sailed well. After the start in front of the Düsternbrook marina with a total of 39 yachts, the "X-Day" set the gennaker and roared through the inner fjord. On the upwind course towards Lyø, the larger "Störtebeker", a Carkeek 47 from the Hamburgischer Verein für Seefahrt, passed her, but the lead changed again towards Svendborgsund. The "X-Day" took the lead again under gennaker and could not be overtaken in the further course of the Baltic Sea rally during this Kiel Week.
"We considered travelling through the Sound with the Code Zero for a long time. That would have been easier in the manoeuvres. But then we got racing fever and left the gennaker standing. That was a real challenge for the navigator with the unlit buoys in the sound, because we had to set a few gybes," reported Hückstädt after returning to the Kieler Woche harbour. Watermann added: "Fortunately, it was hardly ever dark. There was always a glimmer of light in the north."
Good training for the ORC World Championship in August
The "X-Day" successfully finished the Kiel Week on the sea course early on Saturday morning, around a quarter of an hour before the "Störtebeker": "It was a nice finish and good training for the long-distance race at the World Championships in August," said Hückstädt.
While the other yachts in the group of large boats had to follow the "X-Day" to the finish at the Kiel lighthouse, Ralf Paulsen shortened the original 135 nautical mile course at the southern tip of Langeland for the other boats. "As we had expected zero wind in the open Baltic Sea during the course of the day, the fleet would have sailed from Langeland to Kiel to nowhere," said Paulsen. Principal Race Officer Eckart Reinke also explained: "The slowest boat in the large class had to anchor off Kiel Lighthouse. Without shortening the course, all the smaller boats would have anchored there too."
We can still go the long haul" (Jürgen Klinghardt)
"The decision was absolutely right," said Jürgen Klinghardt from "Patent 4". "It was a great race. The last time I sailed through Svendborgsund was 55 years ago with my parents. And we can now realise: We can also do long distances! That's not really our domain."
However, in preparation for the World Championships, Klinghardt had spontaneously entered his yacht for the Silver Riband - including some changes to the crew. Oliver Voss took over the position of navigator and second helmsman. "We are more than satisfied. We were well positioned at the start. The 'Freya' and the 'Dwinger' overtook us a little at first, but with the Code Zero we pulled through nicely at the bottom and were the first on the outer fjord. That was the decisive point. After that, the field was pushed together a little in the accordion effect in Svendborgsund, but then it spread out again," reported Voss.
He will continue his job on the "Patent 4" for the IDM off Travemünde and the World Championship in Kiel. "So it was great to sail to the Silver Ribbon. I have to learn how to steer," says Voss. One day before the end of the 129th Kiel Week, Eckart Reinke gave a positive assessment: "Despite the weak winds, we sailed every race that was possible. We are proud of that."
