100 years of the North Sea Week: "Pax" wins the early bird series: "A colourful sailing day with a beautiful wind"

At the 87th North Sea Week, 100 years after its premiere, one day of blissful sailing follows the next. The hosts and organisers could hardly wish for better sailing conditions for the anniversary. "We had a colourful day of sailing today with nice wind and some old waves. It was a really successful event," said Blankenese Hummer Cup winner Klaus-Uwe Stryi happily on Saturday evening. Stryi sails his eleven-year-old IMX 40 "Pax" with a crew of eight. Together they also won the overall classification of the early bird series.

The series for the lightning starters of the North Sea Week consists of a total of four races: The Sundowner race, which had already led its most impatient participants from Cuxhaven to Helgoland in the night race on Friday evening, marks the start. The 24 early bird series participants then completed three Hummer races on Saturday in keeping with tradition. Two of them were held as Up & Downs, the third race led around the dune and then to the finish line in the harbour. Second place in the early bird series went to Heiko Päsler with his X36s "Static Electric", followed by Michael Wunderlich and his crew on the J-35 "Chosi 6". The fastest boat in terms of time sailed was Steffen Müller's beautiful Brenta 60 "Almost Nothing" from Kiel. North Sea Week Race Director Albert Schweizer said at the end of the Early Bird series: "I am happy and satisfied with the day. My team did a very good job, even though we had to find our feet again after the long break."

A victory and the Golden Badge of Honour for Wolfgang Schäfer

Wolfgang Schäfer won the Noblex Cup from Cuxhaven to Helgoland with his "Struntje V" after a calculated time in the ORC classification. The long-standing former chairman of the German Sailing Committee, who also campaigned for German sailing at international level for decades, can look back on a long series of sporting successes. For example, he won the 2018 Farr 40 World Championship with his "Struntje light". DSV President Mona Küppers awarded Wolfgang Schäfer the Golden Badge of Honour for his services to German sailing on Heligoland during the North Sea Week. For nostalgic reasons and to honour the North Sea Week and its big anniversary, Wolfgang Schäfer and his wife Angela Schäfer have reactivated their faithful old family regatta yacht "Struntje V" for the races around the red rock. With this sister ship of the Admiral's Cup yacht "Saudade", her first owner Dr Günter Havemann took part in the North Sea Week for the first time in 1974 and subsequently in internationally renowned regattas around the globe. It is now almost half a century since the "Struntje V" was launched. Second place in the Noblex Cup went to the Swan 48 "Elan" with Daniel Baum at the helm. A total of 46 participants sailed the feeder regatta from Cuxhaven to Helgoland. Others set course for the red rock on the feeder boats from Bremerhaven, Hooksiel and Hallig Hooge.

A look back at the feeder races

From Bremerhaven to Heligoland: 16 yachts set course for Helgoland from Bremerhaven early on Saturday morning. The overall victory in this race (W3) was secured by Marc Schrieber with the Sprinta Sport "Greyhound" ahead of Tobias Boebel's Comfortina 35 "Lola". Third place went to the X-79 "Xanthippe" with helmsman Finn Dordel.From Hooksiel to Heligoland: Six yachts set off from Hooksiel to Germany's only offshore island. The Swan 38 "Truwen" with skipper Jens-Werner Hinrichs won this feeder race (W4) according to the calculated time. The "Westergast" crew led by Jannik Schleebaum sailed to second place.From Hallig Hooge to Heligoland: Harry Diedrichsen's Seaskip 3 "Rebell" won the race (W5) according to calculated time. Second place went to Bernhard Bohn and his team on the Gib Sea 28 "Rümdriewer". Third place went to the Dehler 30 od "Thalassa" with helmsman Lars Südbrock. Eleven yachts made the journey from Hooge. Click here for all results, which are updated regularly (please click).

The programme for theWhit SundayNorth Sea Week Sunday is all about the Capitell Cup Rund Helgoland. The starting signal will be given at 9.30 am. "We will have a wonderful sailing day. We will choose a nice big course for the big yachts, and the little ones will sail the classic round Helgoland course," announced race director Albert Schweizer cheerfully.