The German America's Cup team is getting more and more German. After Jochen Schümann and Karol Jablonski, Tim Kröger, Toni Kolb and Matti Paschen will also be introduced at today's team presentation in Valencia. A total of 18 sailors are said to have signed up so far.
The commitment of Hamburg spi trimmer Matthias Paschen is no great surprise. After the last Cup, he was regarded as one of the few German trimmers who can sail at the highest international level.
Behind the names of Kröger and Kolb, on the other hand, there were more question marks. Kröger had played an important role in the successful South African Shosholoza team, where his technical expertise was particularly valuable. He often had to be the "go-to man" there with his experience. However, it was not certain whether Schümann would find a suitable position in the current team, which was much more professionally organised.
Tony Kolb usually sat on the bench with the strong BMW Oracle Team. But the Bavarian is now likely to be Schümann's first choice because the new 90-foot boats place particularly high demands on physical fitness. Kolb was always in the premier league.
