EM Ilca 6 & 7: Willim ahead of Buhl - the journeyman challenges the master
Tatjana Pokorny
· 17.03.2023
One finished the European Championships in the Italian waters of Andora on a happy note, the other a little pensive: Nik Aaron Willim brought an outstanding series to a successful conclusion with fifth place in the record-breaking field of the Olympic Ilca 7 class (formerly Laser), narrowly missing out on the European Championship podium and leaving Germany's most successful Ilca 7 helmsman Philipp Buhl behind.
Nik Willim: "We are on an equal footing if I perform at my best"
Nik Willim, who has long shone in the joint international training group with Philipp Buhl, the reigning world champion Jean-Baptiste Bernaz from France, the Olympic bronze medallist Hermann Tomasgaard from Norway and the Finn Kaarle Tapper, had not yet been able to put his skills to optimum use at major events. Now he has succeeded - a huge success for the sailor from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein.
"Philipp was always a step ahead of me, no matter how good I was in training," says the 26-year-old Willim, "I get on extremely well with him, we work closely and comfortably together. I'm also happy when he's ahead. We've never quite been on the same level at highlights so far. But I have learnt for myself at this European Championship that we are on an equal footing if I perform at my best."
In protest against the race organisers: European Championship strike by the sailors
"His starts were better than mine," said Master Buhl, paying tribute to his seven years younger rival. However, Buhl identified his own starts as a weak point in a turbulent European Championship week, in which he too often found it difficult to take advantage of "the laissez-faire approach of the race committee". Because early starts were sometimes not penalised at all or only with overly generous eyes, the German fair player was too often too late. "I prefer strict regulations," says Buhl, explaining his problem. Others were quicker to adapt to the relaxed style of the controversial race organisers this week.
Their poor performance culminated in an unprecedented "strike" by the participants towards the end of the European Championships after poor performances, cancelled or subsequently cancelled races and a series of mistakes. The sailors blocked the slip ramp on the penultimate day of the championships and kept the race team waiting on the water for an hour. The best in the record field of 186 participants from 45 nations also combined their protest action with an urgent appeal to their international class association to ensure professional regatta management at high-ranking regattas.
"A nice and promising start to the pre-Olympic season"
The realisation that the two top German athletes are among the best in the world despite everything remains the good news for the pre-Olympic season that has just begun. Philipp Buhl's botched race on the last day doesn't change that, even if it radically dashed his medal hopes. The performance of Nik Willim and Philipp Buhl was even worth fourth and sixth place in the adjusted European Championship rankings without overseas players such as the third-placed Olympic champion Matt Wearn from Australia. Veteran Tonči Stipanovič (Croatia) sailed to the European Championship title ahead of his compatriot Filip Jurisič.
Nadine Stegenwalner was also delighted with the safety of the best German athletes at the highly competitive European Championships: "We have two top athletes in the top eight in the overall rankings - that's a very nice and promising start to the pre-Olympic season."
On course for the 2024 Olympics with input from experts
The DSV Sports Director also had her sights set on the Allianz Sailing World Championships for all Olympic sailing disciplines from 10 to 20 August in The Hague. "The aim there is already to secure the nations' starting places for the 2024 Olympic Games. The current results of the European Championships make us very confident that we are in a strong position for this in the Ilca 7." Nico Naujock (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) was the German Sailing Team's most successful perspective squad helmsman at the European Championships in Andora, finishing 28th.
The athletes themselves are also ensuring that the top candidates Buhl and Willim continue to make consistent progress towards the 2024 Olympics. In collaboration with Ilca 7 national coach Alex Schlonski and his sparring partner Nik Willim, Philipp Buhl has worked hard to bring additional input from experts into the team for various highlights. As part of this mission, two-time Olympic starter, successful coach and Youth America's Cup team supporter Marc Pickel coached Philipp Buhl Buhl and Nik Willim at the European Championships. "We've already learnt a lot from this," says Buhl. The programme is supported by the German Sailing Association, but is also largely financed by the athletes themselves.
Philipp Buhl: "We want to turn over every stone"
"We want to turn over every stone for our 2024 Olympic medal target and utilise new ways of thinking. We are also accepting our own costs for this. This coordination is time-consuming, but we believe that it is good and very important to listen to the opinions and advice of different people who have already won Olympic medals as coaches or have other valuable experience," says Philipp Buhl, who has just been elected as the active spokesperson for the German Sailing Team together with 470 helmsman Malte Winkel.
At the April regatta Trofeo Princesa Sofía, Swedish Olympic sailor Jesper Stalheim will be coaching Philipp Buhl and Nik Willim. In Hyères, the Olympic silver medallist Andreas Geritzer from Austria will be on board in addition to the esteemed national coach Alex Schlonski, who will also be coaching the German Sailing Team's prospective squad sailors.
The Semaine Olympique Française will decide who will fill the only Ilca 7 starting place at the Pre-Olympics
The fact that Philipp Buhl's performance at this European Championship was not quite perfect after a confident start in the final sprint does not change the ambitious plans of the German Ilca 7 medallists. The 33-year-old from Allgäu, who competes for his home club Segelclub Alpsee-Immenstadt and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and is aiming for his third Olympic start, says: "Eighth place here at the European Championships is not what I had imagined. But I'm happy for Nik, even though he's making life difficult for me on the other side. We are the two best in our training group. That's a good signal for this season."
In the national elimination for just one German Ilca 7 starting place at the pre-Olympic test regatta in Marseille this year, Nik Willim is now two points ahead of Philipp Buhl. With the Semaine Olympique Française at the end of April, only one more regatta will decide which of the two - journeyman or champion - will gain valuable experience in the Olympic area a year before the Games. World champion Buhl will have to stretch himself and put all his skills on the line. The successful journeyman Willim will be looking for his chance. He now has what he lacked at the 2022 World Championships in Mexico: the physical strength to pull through in the last race on a long day.
Philipp Buhl does not want to "cruise in the comfort zone"
Willim wants to "go full throttle" for the 2024 Olympics: "Then the best of us will drive. I can do that too. It's good to know that my skills are now good enough to win medals." He wants the kind of medals that Philipp Buhl already has complete sets of: He has won gold, silver and bronze at European Championships. Buhl has also won gold, silver and bronze at world championships. He is missing the Olympic medal, for which he will use all his experience.
Regarding a possible duel for the 2024 Olympic ticket with his younger training partner, whom he has inspired and appreciated for many years, Buhl said: "If you don't want to cruise in your comfort zone, but want to win a medal, that's a good thing."
