One man's joy is another man's sorrow: from 21 to 29 June 2014, Kiel Week will be all about the big boats. Because the eagerly awaited ORC World Championship will be held in the same area five weeks after Kiel Week, many international starters will also use Kiel Week as a dress rehearsal. Sea course boss Eckart von der Mosel has a good laugh: "Everyone in the scene is inspired by the great World Championship spirit. We expect to be able to welcome participants from more than ten nations to the Kieler Woche racecourses."
The situation is completely different in the Olympic disciplines. Although the organisers will only be able to make more precise predictions about the number of participants at their final preliminary press conference on 17 June at the organising Kieler Yacht-Club (KYC), a weakening field is already becoming apparent. This is by no means the fault of Kiel and its friendly co-organisers (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee, Hamburger Segel-Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein), but rather the miserable timing of the International Sailing Federation (Isaf), which has allowed several European Championships in Olympic disciplines to be held in close proximity to Kiel Week during its reorganisation and restructuring phase. Because the highlight of the season for Olympic sailors, the World Championships in all disciplines, is in Santander in September, Kiel Week does not fit well into the plans of all national teams.
The RS:X surfers and the female surfers are particularly at risk, as they are unlikely to make up a field. Olympic silver medallist Moana Delle would otherwise have sweetened her retirement with another appearance in her home waters. Traditionally strong classes such as the Lasers are expected to compete with a very weak line-up, as the best are in action elsewhere. The Laser European Championship will take place from 7 to 14 June and will attract the Laser aces to Split. Even a self-confessed Kieler Woche fan like nine-time Laser World Champion Robert Scheidt from Brazil will be sad to miss out on his much-loved participation in the German classic this year and will only be back in 2015.
"KiWo" organisation manager Peter Ramcke said of the scheduling conflicts and their consequences: "Together with the German Sailing Association, we are fighting against this type of planning. A lot of work is needed here in the committees, which we want to expand further."
After various experiments last year, the 2014 Olympic disciplines will once again be sailed entirely according to the new old rules: With the exception of the 49er and 49er FX teams, all disciplines will complete ten races and a double scored medal final at the end. The high-performance dinghies will sail a few more races. It has not yet been decided whether they will compete for victory and points on the final day in three very short "theatre-style" medal races in a confined space or in a different format.
The "KiWo" premium partners Audi and SAP will once again ensure that the races on the water can also be followed "up close" on land. The races will be broadcast live and commented on at the "Grand Plaza" in the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre. This also applies to the second part of Kiel Week, where the international classes will take centre stage after the Olympic sailors from Thursday. First and foremost the 505s, which - also spurred on by the upcoming World Championships in their own country - will be competing with at least 50 or 60 teams.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
