Bundesliga: Hamburg clubs in front - Schadewaldt targets Vegvisir Race with J/70

Tobias Schadewaldt has made an impressive return to the 1st Bundesliga after a one-and-a-half-year maternity leave. On his comeback in Kiel, the most successful helmsman in the league's history won again straight away with Luisa Krüger, Julia Kühn and Ferdinand Pfund. "It worked out well, especially because of the great team, of course. I'm delighted that we're still on course for the championship trophy," said Schadewaldt on Whit Monday evening.

Wet weather, fast winners off Kiel

However, the success was no walk in the park for the seven-time record winners from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. Tobias Schadewaldt reported: "We had trained in Hamburg the weekend before. It was still very rusty, especially the tight situations. There were also one or two contacts, which were also our fault. But we really learnt a lot from that and then kept away from other boats as far as we could. That helped. And the speed was definitely right now. We were really fast."

At the third event of the 13th Bundesliga season, the first and second division teams had to put up with some bad weather on Kiel's inner fjord. "When you're sitting out there on the boat in the rain for five hours, you think: What's going on now? You're sitting there again like in the Laser at Kiel Week, it was so wet," Tobias Schadewaldt said with a smile.

The race committee made a great effort and did a good job. The league sailors were able to complete ten of the 15 races after the first of the three days of racing in the area was completely cancelled in front of the sailing camp and the spectators along the Kiellinie. On his return to the league stage, Tobias Schadewaldt once again stated: "The Bundesliga format is simply fantastic. I now often sail Yardstick at Wednesday regattas. The league is a different world."

Bundesliga: No mistakes in the championship duel

With a view to their closest rivals Mühlenberger Yacht-Club, who finished fourth in Kiel and are only five points behind NRV in the first division table with nine points after three of six league events, Tobias Schadewaldt said: "I think we now have to stay focussed and keep up the performance we have shown. Then I think we have a very good chance of winning the championship."

The MSC is hot on our heels. If we make a mistake, they'll be past us." Tobias Schadewaldt

Schadewaldt himself will not be competing in any more Bundesliga events this season, but will be competing for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in the Sailing Champions League. He also has a new idea: he wants to take part in the Vegvisir Race with NRV team-mate Ferdinand Pfund on a J/70 over around 90 nautical miles in a double-handed configuration on the first weekend in September. "Ferdi and I had so much fun together at the weekend. We are now going to sail the Vegvisir Race with a J/70. The 90 nautical miles. We have said: Let's go! We attack!"

Schadewaldt is recruiting J/70 members for the Vegvisir Race

Tobias Schadewaldt is happy to talk about this new endeavour. The Jade Yachting Managing Director says: "We just have so much fun with it. We would of course be delighted if other teams used the boats in the same way. The J/70 is great. You don't just have to sail it in the Bundesliga..."

Schadewaldt is convinced that he can master the race with Ferdinand Pfund in perhaps 24 hours. "That should work quite well, once overnight, as a pair. It feels like you always have to buy a cool racer, a Dehler 30 OD or whatever, mega cool boats, but of course that's also expensive and takes a lot of effort. I think that the J/70 could work if there isn't too much wind. That would be great!"

Equipped with a beanbag, sleeping bag, safety equipment and more, Schadewaldt and Pfund want to experience the Vegvisir Race with the J/70. And they are hoping for fellow campaigners who will be inspired by their unusual idea. Perhaps they can find a crew from their friend and rival MSC? Or from another of the 18 first and 18 second division clubs, all of whom are very familiar with the J/70 boats?

Bundesliga: nothing is decided at half-time

In the Bundesliga, they have all sorted themselves out and lined up at the halfway point of the season. Kiel's results from the Whitsun weekend and the First division table here. Click here for the results and interim results of the second division teams. The Bodensee-Yachtclub Überlingen and the Düsseldorfer Yachtclub also sailed strongly in Kiel over Whitsun, finishing on the podium alongside the NRV quartet.

In the 2nd Bundesliga, the Entdecker und Seefahrer Fördervereinigung won on the inner fjord ahead of the Württembergischer Yacht-Club and the Segel-Club Hansa Münster. The Württembergers lead the second league table ahead of the Entdeckers, the Flensburger Segel-Club and Hansa. We are currently reporting the results with reservations, as errors have repeatedly crept into the TracTrac system and the results have changed several times as a result.