Kieler Woche: 125th Kieler Woche: The Danes are here; Mixed sailing is coming

The organising team of Kiel Week is getting reinforcements from Denmark: Marselisborg Yacht Club and Sailing Aarhus will be involved this year when the 125th Kiel Week sets sail. The Kiel Week organisers had already set the course for this last summer when they visited the extremely successful World Championship of all Olympic classes in Aarhus, Denmark. "We saw excellent race management there. This gave rise to the idea that we should work more closely with the Danes," says Dirk Ramhorst, Head of Organisation of the Kieler Woche regattas.

For the organisation team of Kieler Woche with the Kieler Yacht-Club, the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, this is the first addition of an international club. According to the organisers, the opening is only the beginning of increasing internationalisation in the area of race management. Race teams will already be exchanged between Kiel and Aarhus this year. According to Ramhorst, the aim is to improve the quality of the work on the water. An increased participation of sailors from the so-called "emerging nations" is also aimed at further increasing the internationality of Kiel Week. The World Sailing Association covers the flight costs for the active participants from emerging nations, while Kieler Woche covers the registration fees, charter boats and accommodation.

From 22 to 30 June, sailing athletes from all ten Olympic disciplines, in the future Olympic mixed class, in the 2.4mR, in the OK European Championship as well as in the offshore races and in 15 international boat classes will be challenged at Kiel Week. The scope of the "mother of all regatta weeks" is unique. The majority of the German national team's squad sailors, who are already preparing intensively in the pre-Olympic year for the 2020 Olympic regatta off Enoshima and the preceding national elimination, will also be in action.

MIXED SAILING ON THE ADVANCE

The organisers are confident going into the 125th anniversary edition. Dirk Ramhorst said: "In the discussions about the Sailing World Cup(of which Kiel Week is still not a member, ed.) We have always been criticised by World Sailing for our mix of Olympic, international and offshore events, but the latter is now proving to be perfect for World Sailing too. We are the only 'classic' event that can now respond directly to the double-handed offshore format." Mixed sailing is set to make its Olympic debut in 2024, but has already been integrated into the programme as a preview regatta by the Kieler Woche organisers. The combination of short, medium and long distances is still open to mixed pairs in this first edition, but two men or two women are also being advertised. Sailing will initially take place on yachts that are measured according to the ORC Club, as neither a boat type nor a precise format has yet been defined for the future mixed Olympic discipline. The Olympic bronze medallist from Sydney 2000 and his wife have already registered: Roland and Nahid Gäbler are at the start. Another mixed regatta has been announced for the 470. Although the class will remain classically active at Kiel Week until the 2020 Olympics, with one men's and one women's fleet each, the young mixed sailors should already be able to prepare for what the Olympic sailing world expects for 2024: the mixed 470 crew in Olympic action.