Many sea sailors have been waiting for this, and the head of the Kieler Woche (19 to 27 June 2010), Eckhard von der Mosel (Kieler Yacht-Club), is all the happier to announce the success of the negotiations: after four years of abstinence, the Kieler Woche will once again be held from Kiel to Eckernförde in 2010.
"The spinnakers of the regatta yachts in front of Kiel's city centre and the full Eckernförde harbour - these are the images that go around the world, announcing the start of Kiel Week," enthuses Kiel's head of maritime affairs. The calls for this step had never completely died down in the sailing community and in the politics of the two cities. Since 2006, there have been other destinations for the Kiel Week kick-off, but they have not met with the same approval from the sailing community. "We see ourselves primarily as a service provider for the sailors and are delighted that our negotiations were successful," said von der Mosel.
He was welcomed "with open arms" by the Eckernförde town council, reports von der Mosel. The pier facilities in Eckernförde, which were redesigned in 2008 and 2009 with many new shops and catering facilities, make this destination even more attractive and promise good numbers of participants.
"Eckernförde is very pleased and happy to be part of Kiel Week again," beams Mayor Jörg Sibbel. "And our shore programme will impress the sailors," adds Stefan Borgmann, Managing Director of Eckernförde Tourism and Marketing Company. The Eckernförde Sailing Club also welcomes the decision and is delighted that there will now be another major regatta from Kiel to Eckernförde in addition to the Aalregatta at Whitsun.
The Kieler Woche organisers are already starting to advertise the new old regatta to Eckernförde, which is now called the "Welcome Race" and is aimed particularly at amateur yachts and cruisers/racers.
But there are not only new features in the Kieler Woche offshore programme at the start. The "Welcome Race" to Eckernförde will be followed by three days of the "Kiel Cup" (Monday, 21 to Wednesday, 23 June), two days of the long distance, the "Silver Ribbon" (Thursday, 24 to Friday, 25 June) and the middle distance "Senate Prize" on the second Saturday of Kiel Week (26 June) at the end.
In addition to the retro look of the Kieler Woche sea course events, there is a completely new offer for the one-design yachts of the sea course, which have less fun in the long-distance, offshore regattas.
Smaller keelboats in particular, such as Melges 24, J-80 and Laser SB3, place less value on starting a distance race off Düsternbrook. This target group prefers short distances to the race area and lots of fast regattas. And this is what Kiel Week 2010 can offer. In the Olympic part (19 to 24 June), the Foxtrot course off Laboe/Wendtorf is free. This will now be allocated to the sea courses and will be aimed at X-99, X-79, Streamline and Albin Express in addition to the standard classes mentioned. From 2011, the X-35 and Mumm30 will also be offered.
The X-99 class has chosen the new event as its German Cup and is expecting 20 entries. Other classes have given the offer high ranking factors and integrated it into their European Cirquit.
"After our first survey, we could hardly save ourselves from the positive feedback," says Eckhard von der Mosel, delighted with the response to the newly designed sea course part of Kiel Week 2010.
Sea course regattas for Kiel Week 2010 (19 to 27 June):
19 June: Welcome Race from Kiel to Eckernförde. (ORCi, ORC-Club).
19 to 23 June: One Design (X79, X99, Albin Express, J80, Melges 24, Farr 30).
21 to 23 June: Kiel Cup (ORCi),
23 June: Kaiserpokal (final race for the Kieler Woche victory)
24/25 June: Silver Ribbon, long distance (ORCi, ORC Club)
26 June: Senate Prize, medium distance (ORCi, ORC Club)
Lasse Johannsen
Deputy Editor in Chief YACHT
