The start was stormy. Kiel Week always takes place when the sun's orbit is at its highest point of the year, the days are at their longest and various nations celebrate the summer solstice.
However, astronomical conditions are no guarantee of pleasant weather. So far, the sailors at Kiel Week have had to contend with mixed weather.
Heavy showers, interspersed with hail, alternated with periods of sunshine and medium winds. The wind direction travelled round the compass rose. It was not only the Bénéteau 25s, which sailed as an international class on the Bravo course for the first time in 2004 and no longer on the sea course, that felt the effects. However, Kai Mares (33) has so far not been bothered by the many turns. Together with his father Uwe (62), who already won bronze in the Tempest at the 1972 Olympic Games off Schilksee, he is in a commanding lead in the small keelboats.
Not far from the Bravo course, on the beach at Laboe, the kitesurfers make their Kiel Week debut.
Not a debut, but a déja-vu for the multiple Kieler Woche winner and sailing star Willi Kuhweide. Kuhweide, now 60, has not been sailing himself for a long time, but still remembers his Schilksee days well. After all, he won a gold medal in the Finn dinghy and a bronze medal in the Star boat.
Kieler Woche permanent winner Dr Wolfgang Hunger also seems to be in good form. Together with his foresailor Holger Jess, he (strictly speaking, only Jess) is trapelling towards victory in the 505 class.
Far away from the courses designed for the dinghy and keelboat classes, the "big ships" set sail. 150 of them set off - also in the rain - on Saturday morning at 9.30 a.m. for the Aalregatta in Eckernförde, the most popular German regatta for sea yachts. Among them: the IMS/IRC Maxi "Uca" and the large Baltic "Loftfari" owned by Hasso Plattner. The owner himself was not present. He was winning the Newport-Bermuda Regatta at the time.
