After a strong qualifying round, SVB Team Germany opened the final of the 2nd Red Bull Youth America's Cup with an early start. In light winds of around seven knots, skipper Max Kohlhoff, helmsman Paul Kohlhoff and their crew of Phillip Kasüske, Johann Kohlhoff, Moritz Burmester and Fredrick Eichhorst were unable to recover in the first race, finishing eighth and last. In the second race, the start was a little better, but not compelling enough, leading to fifth place at the finish. In the third race, the German sextet performed well in race three off Bermuda on Tuesday afternoon until the final sprint and were in third place at one point. However, a penalty at the last turning mark before the finish as a result of a protest situation with the Swiss Team Tilt spoilt what could have been a good result. SVB Team Germany once again had to be satisfied with fifth place and, at the halfway point, is only in seventh and penultimate place with 17 points.
"We still had problems today with the settings on the new boat, which are different to the one we sailed in qualifying," said skipper Kohlhoff, explaining his team's teething problems. However, as the gap to third place is only six points, SVB Team Germany still has every chance of making significant progress on Wednesday. Servus TV Germany will be broadcasting the races on the second final day of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup live on Wednesday from shortly before 7pm German time.
Team of the day in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup on the Cup stage of the Great Sound was the crew of the Land Rover BAR Academy with helmsman Chris Taylor. The Brits dominated the fleet with consistent top results (2, 2, 1) and lead the field of AC45 catamarans at the halfway stage with 28 points ahead of the Swiss Team Tilt (21 points) and Team France Jeune (21 points). Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR talent development programme has been running for 18 months. The effectiveness of the intensive training under the wing of a major Cup campaign is clearly underlined by the performances of the young English crew, which includes Annabel Voss, the only woman in the field, off Bermuda after the first three of six races.
In the first race on Tuesday, Team BDA caused a huge cheer on land. The young crew from Bermuda won the first race, surprising all observers. The sailors from the host island with its 65,000 inhabitants had not thought they had much of a chance in the competition with the established sailing nations. The excitement was all the greater when Bermuda's youngsters crossed the finish line ahead of the competition. Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill, whose team had trained with Bermuda's talent team before the start of the regatta, said: "This team has earned a place in the final with hard work and talent. That in itself is a great story. When you also consider that some of the team members weren't even sailors until recently, it's pretty special." With 18 points, Team BDA is in sixth place after three races.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
