Olympic sailing: Strong together: German 49er crews chase European Championship medals

The two best German 49er crews are heading almost bow to bow for the home straight at the European Skiff Sailing Championships in the former British Olympic area off Weymouth. A maximum of four races are still on the programme until the medal final on Sunday. Plenty of opportunities for the fifth-placed Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme and the Rio bronze medallists Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel, who have moved up to sixth place, to get even closer to the crews from New Zealand, Spain and Great Britain ahead of them and put themselves in as good a starting position as possible for the battle for the medals.

The best 49er team in the entire fleet on Friday were Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. The veterans, who are not yet back in full training due to their study commitments, had a few strength problems on the last few days with the stronger winds, but today they coped best with the lighter and shiftier winds of around nine knots that often suit them so well. With 5th and 4th place and a race win, their result for the day was even better than that of the New Zealand leaders and top favourites Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. However, the Olympic champions and America's Cup winners were able to defend their lead with 6th, 4th and 2nd places. Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme from the Kieler Yacht-Club fought for 7th, 23rd and 12th place, had to give up a few points in the more unsettled conditions, but are still within medal reach after strong performances on the previous days.

"I trust both crews to win a medal"

National coach Marc Pickel drew a positive interim balance: "We are working intensively on many small things, but we are on the right track, as this week shows. I'm confident that both crews can win a medal." The biggest question mark in Weymouth is currently the weather. The organisers are expecting very light winds for the final European Championship weekend - which, as all sailors know, could really shake up the results once again. If sailing will be possible at all.

Nacra 17 helmsman Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer from the Kiel Yacht Club are also hoping for wind. The North German duo are in 11th place at the European Championships for the Olympic mixed catamaran class in the same sailing area and still have to make up points to reach the medal race for the top ten catamaran teams on Sunday. Multiple Italian world champions Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti from Italy are leading in their discipline.

This also applies to the German FX sailors: Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke are in 13th place after 15 races, Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz are in 19th place, with the Brazilian Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze once again in the lead.

Here to the intermediate results of the European Championships of the Olympic sailing disciplines 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17.