At 1.25 pm, the horn signal for the opening of the 142nd Kiel Week sounded on the stage at the Olympic Centre in Schilksee. But official races were not yet possible on the first day, only three to four knots of wind did not allow a start in fair conditions. The 2.4mR, 420er, 470er and OK dinghy were sent out onto the water at 12.45 pm, but had to be towed back in without having achieved anything.
So that the traditional eel regatta could be started in Eckernförde, the organisers Eckart Reinke and Ralf Paulsen moved the starting line to the open Baltic Sea. The more than 200 yachts sailed out of the inner fjord in a flotilla to start a shortened race. "We would have liked to offer more action!" commented Eckart Reinke on the cancellation of the start preparations at the 1936 Olympic harbour in Düsternbrook.
200 yachts on Kiel's inner fjord
"We had a lot of fun," explained Wolfram N. Diener, despite the lack of a launch spectacle. Because there were still some beautiful pictures: when the postponement of the start to the Baltic Sea was announced by radio, the convoy of more than 200 yachts moved through the inner fjord in a hustle and bustle that could not have been better staged in a hidden object picture. And at 1.35 p.m., the first starting group of ORC yachts at the entrance to Eckernförde Bay was sent on a short course of around ten nautical miles to Eckernförde, but also battled against a relatively strong current out of the bay in a light breeze. The slower yachts will probably need until the evening before they reach the finish line and a well-earned smoked eel.
At 3 pm, the race committee decided to cancel all further attempts on Saturday. The starting time for Sunday remains at 11am. Should good wind conditions prevail, races will be organised in addition to the normal schedule.
Kiel wants to be a stopover in the Ocean Race
In addition to Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer and Schleswig-Holstein's Minister of the Interior Dr Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, the Prime Minister of Cabo Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva, and the President of the Ukrainian Sailing Association, Rodion Luka, were also present as guests of honour at the official opening on the stage of the Audi Sailing Arena in the Schilksee Olympic Centre. Olympic medallist Susann Beucke from Kiel also reported on her offshore project "This Race is Female". She wants to take part in the Vendée Globe in 2028. She has brought her racing yacht to Kiel especially for the event and will be offering insights into this special type of regatta sailing during Kieler Woche at Blücherbrücke.
Kiel's Lord Mayor Kämpfer promoted Kiel as a sailing location: "We have just had the Ocean Race fly-by in Kiel and would like to follow the example of Aarhus, which was a fly-by in the previous Ocean Race and has now become a regular stage venue. We need the support of the state for this," he said, addressing Interior Minister Sütterlin-Waack. As far as Kiel Week is concerned, the head of Kiel's administration sees himself on the right track: "I am very happy that we can now get back on track after the corona years. Kiel Week is back on track!"
Ukrainian sailing president reports on the situation in his home country
The panel and audience listened with dismay as Rodion Luka reported on the situation in his home country of Ukraine: "It's a horror, and sailing is actually out of the question - maybe on a few small lakes. But it is forbidden along the entire Black Sea coast and on the large sailing areas." The association president expressed his gratitude for the support his country was receiving and said he was also in Kiel to find out what else was possible.
Luka received moral support from the Prime Minister of Cabo Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva. The head of state of the Atlantic island state was a guest in Kiel because his country is working closely with Geomar on research into climate change and oceanography. These research findings are of immense importance for Cabo Verde, as the state on the west coast of Africa consists of 99.3 per cent water, according to him. The ocean forms the country's resources. But Correia e Silva was also able to enjoy Kiel Week in addition to the exchange with city and state officials: "It's my first visit here in Kiel, but hopefully not the last. Kiel Week is a perfect combination of sport and cultural events. It's a great atmosphere."
