Following the Olympic opening ceremony, the second half of the 132nd Kieler Woche will be dedicated to international sailing classes. One of the highlights in 2026 will be the Flying Dutchman World Championship. Right in the thick of it: Kilian König and Johannes Brack, who will be coming to Kiel as the reigning world champions.
The Flying Dutchman are making their mark on the international half-time show
The reigning Flying Dutchman world champion is travelling from Steinhuder Meer to Kieler Woche. In 2025, 44-year-old sailmaker Kilian König and his bowman Johannes Brack from Kassel – who is two years his junior – achieved their dream when they won World Championship gold in Andalusia. On the fjord, the crew from the Hanover Yacht Club and the Edersee Sailing Club now face another challenge, as the ‘Flying Dutchmen’ are set to host their 2026 World Championships during Kiel Week. “Of course we’d love to defend our title. But it won’t be easy! We’re hoping for good wind, as that’s where we’re actually stronger,” says König.
“Kiel Week is a real highlight for me – there are loads of top sailors there. You have to be strong both as a sailor and mentally to hold your own there.” Kilian König
Strong rivals and a clear goal
Sailmaker König is looking forward with great anticipation to the summit meeting of this former Olympic and now international sailing class. He knows his biggest rivals well: “The Hungarians Majthényi and Domokos have been world champions several times. GER 88, with Kai-Uwe Lüdtke and Kai Schäfers, are always a force to be reckoned with. Then there are champions such as Jørgen and Jacob Bojsen-Møller and the Dutch pair Enno Kramer and Ard Geelkerken. And, of course, Jörn and Bodo Borowski.” Jörn Borowski won Olympic silver in the 470 class with Egbert Svensson in 1980 and is now also a leading figure in the FD class.
73 teams, eleven nations and a gold FD
No fewer than 73 teams from eleven nations are set to turn up to compete for World Championship gold on the Förde and provide the highlight of the international half-time celebrations. “We’re even allowed to arrive during the Olympic half of the event, have our own area for measurements and, later on, for social events too. Kiel Week has been very accommodating towards us,” enthuses König, who will be celebrating his birthday on 18 June, shortly before the World Championships begin. His wish? He laughs: “Defending the title successfully would obviously be brilliant! But we’ve set our sights on a place on the podium; we’re just hoping for a great regatta, fair sailing and no breakages.”
The majority of FD sailors will be competing in Mader boats. König and Brack, who see their long-standing friendship as their greatest strength, are preparing their golden Planatech FD from 2025 for the World Championship campaign. Thirty-two years after his first Kieler Woche in a 420, König has lost count of his starts. “Twenty times, perhaps,” he muses, recalling his FD victories in 2013 and 2016. Ahead of the major event, he pays tribute: “I love the wonderful feeling that the whole sailing world comes together in Kiel once a year.”
What Kilian König stands for
Kilian König is the face of the international classes at Kiel Week. In the second half of the event, they will be determining their ‘KiWo’ champions. In 2026, the Flying Dutchman World Championships, featuring 73 teams from eleven nations, will be one of the highlights.
More about the sporting side of Kiel Week
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
