Justus Schmidt has given himself a wonderful 27th birthday. At the combined European Championship of the Olympic classes 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 in the former British Olympic area of Weymouth, the 49er helmsman and his co-skipper Max Boehme are in fourth place at the end of qualifying after ten races so far. Schmidt/Boehme have achieved this good starting position with a remarkably consistent series, two race wins and exclusively single-digit results between first and seventh place.
"It's been a solid performance so far," says Justus Schmidt himself, "so it's really fun. And that's despite the fact that we even dropped a few points today." The top crew from the Kieler Yacht-Club is currently the hottest contender in the strong German 49er group for a starting place at the Pre-Olympics. "We have a comfortable lead, so at least there's no sword of Damocles hanging directly over us," says Schmidt with a smile, who nevertheless warns of caution despite his crew's recent successes. "We'll keep our heads down and stay focussed. A different wind will be blowing in the final here at the European Championships. It will certainly be exciting and we're really looking forward to racing!"
Their experienced training partners and friends Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel will also be joining the Kiel team. The 2016 Olympic bronze medallists from Berlin, who will have to get by without intensive training until the summer because they are concentrating on their studies and will not be finished with their Masters (Plößel) and Physikum (Heil) until September, have nevertheless shone off Weymouth with three daily victories so far, but have also had three double-digit qualification results. "We are simply still too unfit, and then we don't have enough strength for three or four races in one day," explains Erik Heil. "Yesterday, for example, we capsized when we were ahead. We know what the problem is. Overall, everything is fine, our speed is good." Heil and Plößel never had a chance of taking part in the Pre-Olympics anyway. Not because they weren't good enough sailors, but because their important tests are taking place during the period in which the Olympic test regatta off Enoshima is being held. Tim Fischer and Fabian Graf, who came third at last year's World Championships in Aarhus, will be starting from 17th place in the main round on Thursday.
The 49er fleet in British European Championship waters is dominated by the exceptional New Zealand sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. The Olympic champions took a long break after their Rio triumph in 2016 to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race and only returned to the 49er fleet this year. It didn't take them long to regain their former position as class kings. After ten races and five victories, the Kiwi duo only have 17 points to their name. But the New Zealand America's Cup winners are not without weaknesses: "In lighter winds like today, they are beatable," Erik Heil was not the only one to observe. Before the German 49er sailors continue their European Championship medal hunt on Thursday, they will meet Justus Schmidt for a birthday dinner on Wednesday evening.
In the parallel Nacra 17 European Championship, Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer from Kieler Yacht-Club are in 11th place after nine races, Johannes Polgar and Carolina Werner are in 26th place. In the 49erFX, Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke are 13th after nine races, Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz have dropped back to 21st place.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
