Kiel Week: Between the regatta course and Town Hall Square – the 132nd Kiel Week set to open

The 132nd Kiel Week has begun – or at least, almost. Whilst the official ceremony is not due to take place until this evening on Rathausplatz, the sailors’ attention has been focused on the regatta courses off Schilksee since the early hours of the morning. The first warning signal for participants in the Aalregatta from Kiel to Eckernförde sounded at 9 am; the Olympic sailors were able to sleep in and will start their first races at midday today.

The conditions for a successful start are in place. Following the overnight thunderstorms, the weather is expected to stabilise as the day progresses. Meteorologists are forecasting westerly to south-westerly winds of between eight and twelve knots on most courses. There remains a slight degree of uncertainty for the afternoon due to possible showers and thunderstorms. For the competitors, this means sailing conditions that should allow for numerous races right from the start.

​The first-year classes are getting involved

​For the organisers, this is a much more favourable starting point than on many opening days in previous years. The high-calibre Olympic opening programme thus promises to be an exciting, unofficial bid for the the intended timing of the Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Six of the ten Olympic sailing disciplines are in action from today during the first half of the regatta week on the fjord. A new feature is the final: instead of a single medal race, the series will conclude with two medal races for the first time. This is intended to keep the outcome in the balance until the final day of racing and to better compensate for any outliers.

From a German perspective, the national team is fielding virtually its strongest line-up. In the Ilca 7 class, the three-time Olympian and Philipp Buhl, the newly crowned European runner-up will be competing. Joining them is Ole Schweckendieck, one of the most promising German talents in the class. In the 470 class, World Championship runners-up Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort are among the wider group of favourites. The German skiff teams are also strongly represented: in the 49er class, the line-up includes, amongst others, World Championship fourth-place finishers Jakob Meggendorfer and Andreas Spranger, as well as Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger. In the women’s 49erFX class, all eyes are on the pair from Kiel Maru Scheel and Freya Feilcke, as well as Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer. A total of 19 current or former World and European Championship medallists in their respective categories feature on the entry lists.

• Kieler Woche: ​Sights set on the Olympics – National sailors set for a home race

​Schilksee is filling up: Boris Herrmann is there too

Alongside the Olympic classes, the focus this year will once again be primarily on offshore sailing. Following the season opener, the traditional Aarl Regatta, the programme includes the Silbernes Band and the IDM Offshore, amongst others. The latter will be held this year for the first time as part of the new Viking Challenge. Kieler Woche, together with the Marstrand Big Boat Race in Sweden and Blue Week in Middelfart, Denmark, forms the core of this new ORC regatta series.

Kiel Week isn’t just getting underway on the water today. The programme is also picking up pace on land. At the Olympic Centre, competitors, support staff, spectators and visitors are coming together. Particular attention is being paid to Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia. The Hamburg native is in Kiel with his team, the GC32 catamaran ‘Malizia 1’ and the research vessel ‘Malizia Explorer’. Over the coming days, several public events and meet-and-greets with visitors are on the programme. Yesterday, the 45-year-old appeared on stage at the Sailing Arena in the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre alongside big-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner. Today, Herrmann and his co-skippers Cole Brauer and Will Harris are hosting a fan meet-and-greet and autograph session there from 6 pm.

• Kieler Woche: A home game for Boris Herrmann – first Kiel, then the launch

The official opening, to be conducted by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will take place this evening

The opening ceremony for the Kieler Woche regattas will also be held at the Sailing Arena at 12 noon. However, the official start will not take place until the evening. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will open the 132nd Kieler Woche at 7 pm on Rathausplatz. After that, attention will finally turn to the next nine days, during which Kiel will once again be entirely devoted to sailing and the summer festival.

Live from the regatta courses at Kiel Week from 12.45 pm: