Maior: Sea sailing season opener with surprises
YACHT
· 07.05.2024
Strander Bucht instead of Stollergrund - that was the motto when laying out the courses for the start of the sailing season, the May Offshore Regatta (Maior). This not only gave visitors to the Schilksee Olympic Centre the best view of the crews' manoeuvres, the short distances from the Schilksee Olympic harbour to the regatta course were also well received by the sailors. There was praise for the event from many sailors. Jens Kuphal (Berlin), owner and helmsman of the second-placed "Intermezzo" (Group A+B), praised the organisers at the award ceremony: "That was a very confident performance on land and on the water. It was great that we were able to sail nine races." Torsten Bastiansen had previously echoed this sentiment when he dropped his crew off in the harbour after the victory: "We had a lot of fun - on the water with the well laid out courses and on land at the evening parties."
In sporting terms, there were clear winners after the long sailing weekend of the Maior with the preceding "Go4Speed" training and the three regatta days: the "Stony VIII" won six of the nine races in the large yacht group according to calculated time. "We didn't expect that. This is our sixth time here in Kiel, but we've never won before. That's why we had set ourselves the target of a top-three finish," explained owner Steen Tofteberg. With the success at the Maior, he sees himself on the right track for the season: "That was our first regatta this year. It's great that it went so well straight away. Our highlight of the season is the European Championships in August. We want to sail for a medal there." Last year, the yacht, an Italia 11.98, finished fifth in Group C at the World Championship off Kiel. Following the reorganisation of the classes this year by the ORC, the "Stony VIII" is now sailing in class B. "We didn't know how this would affect us. Now we are happy," says Tofteberg.
Maior 2024: "The rating is not consistent"
The joy was not shared by the larger yachts, which now have to compete with the Italia 11.98. "Whoever wins has sailed strongly - without question. But the rating is not consistent, we have no chance. The ORC didn't do itself any favours with this," analysed Jens Kuphal, who finished second with his "Intermezzo", a Landmark 43. "We fought duels with the fast boats at the front of the field, were travelling fast, but couldn't beat the time limit." While the fast yachts in the group also had to act tactically, the "Stony VIII" behind them was able to concentrate entirely on itself.
However, the start of the year was also a successful start to the season for Kuphal and his team. "It's fun with this team. We are so well-rehearsed that we only needed one day of training to get back up to operating temperature. And then we steadily improved." The "Intermezzo" skipper also celebrated the start of the year for another reason: his 15-year-old son Jascha was on board as a crew member for the first time. "That's a special pleasure. A real father-son experience. And Jascha has fitted in very well." The European Championships in the Åland Islands in August are also the focus of the season for Kuphal. He will therefore not be able to sail in Kiel Week, as the Gotland Runt race is on the programme in preparation for the European Championship - as is the case for many other crews.
Danes with a strong performance
Third place in Group A+B went to another Danish crew, Erik Stannow's "Dixi 4". In fourth and fifth place were the two best crews from the Kieler Yacht-Club - Marie Becker's "Surprise" and Johannes Wackerhagen's "Desna". In Group C+D, experience prevailed against the up-and-coming youth. Torsten Bastiansen's "Sydbank" crew made a strong start to the series, weakened a little on the second day, but ultimately came out on top of the field with only top-three finishes, ahead of the "Freya" of the Kieler Yacht-Club with helmsman Noah Piotraschke. This meant that two X35s were right at the front. "It was close after the second day. We didn't always have the best luck on Saturday. On the final day, we also struggled with the first start. But then we sailed well on the downwind gear and finally found the right rhythm for the shifting wind," said Bastiansen, adding: "It was great fun on all three days. It was great that we had very similar boats here to compete with."
The somewhat shifty winds on the final day, on the other hand, caused problems for the pursuers from the "Freya". "Things went very well on Saturday, but we lacked a bit of experience in the difficult, shifty conditions," said Noah Piotraschke. Manoeuvres and boat speed were already very good. The young crew wants to continue to improve their performance as the season progresses. "We will sail the Wednesday regattas and the Kiel Cup at Kiel Week. Our goal is then to win a medal at the German Championships in Flensburg in the autumn."
Big goals for the junior crew
A pool of around 20 sailors is ready for the "Freya" to prepare for the big goal next year. The World Championship in Tallinn/Estonia is on the agenda then, and the young crew of the KYC wants to be part of it. Another young team came third in the Maior: the crew of the "Matchbox", a MAT 1010 from ASV Wismar skippered by Eike Claas Carmincke. The Maior marks the start of the season. The next highlight is not long in coming. Kiel Week is less than 50 days away.
Ralf Abratis
