Not only the weather with alternating sunshine and rain showers exposed the 35 X-35 yachts to minor and major ups and downs on their second day of sailing, the results list also went up and down from race to race.
After yesterday's forced break due to a calm day, the programme could be made up today to a total of six races. The Dutch "BRS X" with helmsman Cees Wieringa put in the most consistent performance. With a seventh place as a stringer, it leads ahead of the "Hermes-X" of the first-placed Mati Sepp and last year's winner Nick Bol and his "Quantum Racing". "The field has become extremely strong this year and the performance density is high," said Nick Bol, confirming the quality of the field.
For all the other X-35 crews, joy and sorrow were often very close together today. Torsten Bastiansen's "Xen" and Christian Soyka's "Immac X", which is getting better and better, fought it out for the position of best German boat. With a 17th place in the last race, the Flensburg team lost out on a better position than tenth place after varying results. The "Immac X", on the other hand, is sixth with 32 points. "We did well," said a delighted Christian Soyka. While conditions were relatively good in the first race with three to four wind forces from the west, things got slightly chaotic in race two. After many false starts, five yachts were disqualified. Race leader Tom Ross with the "4 For Sea" was also allowed to take a break. Then an unforecast heavy rain front crossed the field with all its consequences. Shifting winds of force one to six mixed up the regatta field. A lottery of luck. Achim Griese with his "Celox" was particularly unlucky. Shortly before the finish, he got caught in a private lull, while ten metres to his right and left the boats sped past. After a great race to catch up, the team only managed 13th place and 17th overall, while Dirk Manno (Flensburg) and his "MannoMann" improved to 13th place with a good fourth place in the last race.
