The Sardinia Challenge of the Nations League 2021: "Hatari" victory off Sardinia: World champions on course for the title

At the start of the season, the 2020 world champions had to be satisfied with second place behind Leonardo Ferragamo's Italian "Cuordileone". But at the second Swan Summit of the year, "Hatari" owner and helmsman Marcus Brennecke, his tactician Markus Wieser and their crew made it clear that they wanted to defend their 2020 world title.

Off Porto Cervo, the "Hatari" team under sail number GER 5016 came out on top in the field of 13 ClubSwans 50. With three first, two second and two fourth places and a total of just 15 points to its name, the twelve-strong team with the maximum permitted five professionals left the competition in its wake. The Russian "Sparti" (19 points) and Ferragamo's "Cuordileone" (33 points) sailed to second and third place. Stefan Heidenreich's "OneGroup" (50 points) sailed to eighth place with Jochen Schümann and Magnus Simon. Hendrik Brandes' German "Earlybird" had started the series strongly in third place, but was unable to finish the regatta after a crash with a torn bowsprit.

With their victory, the "Hatari" crew has established a strong starting position for their hoped-for title defence. The dynamic crew dozen is fighting for both the season championship and the world championship crown once again. Both titles will be awarded after the next two regattas off Mallorca at the fifth and final summit of the series as part of the World Championship in St. Tropez in mid-October.

The hosts from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda offered the participating teams of more than 350 sailors in four Swan categories - ClubSwan 36, ClubSwan 42, ClubSwan 50 and Swan 45 - a successful regatta in conditions that were not always easy. After the flat winds at the start, two mistral days were particularly challenging, with winds of up to 24 or 25 knots at times. "It sometimes got tight at the buoys," reported Markus Wieser. The "Hatari" tactician was able to rely on his team led by Marcus Brennecke, which also included his son Carl Philipp Brennecke. Together with Michael Müller, Michele Ivaldi, Ross Halcrow and Dirk de Ridder, Wieser forms the professional quintet permitted in this class. There are also some young sailors from the Bavarian Yacht Club, such as Felix Kaiser and Nick Beulcke this week, who normally compete in the German Sailing League and are supported by Marcus Brennecke. "Our overall package is good," says Wieser. The "Hatari" is around four years old. Interesting fact: she previously belonged to Leonardo Ferragamo.