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Whilst the city celebrates the 132nd Kiel Week, out on the fjord the large yachts are also competing for trophies, titles and prestige. The offshore sailors are in action throughout the week, kicking off with the Aal Regatta, followed by the Silbernes Band, double-handed races and the IDM ‘Inshore’, the Viking Challenge. One person who knows this aspect of Kiel Week particularly well is Max Gurgel.
Offshore sailing as a world of its own at Kiel Week
The 40-year-old from Hamburg has been happily living in the capital of Schleswig-Holstein for 18 years. “Kiel is my adopted home. I like being close to the water. As a sailor, you’re right at the heart of things here, with a wealth of facilities,” says the former top match racer, who is one of the most versatile all-rounders in German sailing. Max Gurgel set up his own business, Vmax-Yachting, in Kiel in 2016. The name stands for fast sailing. Gurgel specialises in optimising yachts, and provides consultancy, coaching and sailing services for high-performance offshore sailing teams.
As a multiple German, European and World Championship runner-up, he will be competing at Kieler Woche 2026 as part of the crew of Jens Kuphal’s Berlin-based “eXciteR”, one of the co-favourites in the IDM. Among the strongest rivals is the XR-41 class sister boat “Dixi 5”.
From the 420 to the Big Boat: Gurgel’s Kiel Week route
It takes Max Gurgel 20 minutes by bike to get to the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre. He knows: “During Kiel Week, the city is in a state of chaos. I experienced that back in my university days, when the lecture theatres were completely empty.” To this day, the man with a Master’s degree in physics still finds it “crazy” “that many of the visitors to the party district don’t even realise that Kiel Week is, at its core, a sailing event”.
Gurgel competed in his first Kieler Woche in 2002, still in the 420 youth class. Later, he also competed in other disciplines, such as the Olympic 470 and 49er dinghies, and in international classes on the Förde. He has now been competing as a big-boat sailor for many years. In between, he has also served as a guest umpire, witnessed the ‘tough but fair’ approach in action, and won his first championship title with ‘Rubix’ in 2012. Further titles followed with the Salona 37 RK “Salconia”, the GP 42 “X-Day” and, as early as 2025, with the then-new XR 41 “eXciteR”. Alongside owner and helmsman Kuphal, the “eXciteR” crew includes Star-class world champion Robert Stanjek, round-the-world sailor Annie Lush and double Olympic champion Sarah Ayton, with Gurgel himself serving as mainsheet trimmer, alongside several other top sailors.
Why Kiel Week is more than just a party scene
For Max Gurgel, it is the sailors travelling from all over the world who create “that special Kieler Woche atmosphere”. He describes one of the differences between the Olympic and international sections with a light-hearted anecdote: “I used to camp a lot at the campsite next to the Olympic Centre.”
"In the Olympic section, it’s dead quiet there in the evenings from 9 pm onwards. In the international section, you’re unlikely to get much sleep."
Gurgel likes the variety of Kiel Week: “As sailors on a large boat, we sail past everyone else when we head out. The variety is impressive! The entire sporting spectrum is represented. When we then motor in from way out on the Alpha course, we have to take huge detours so as not to disturb the other sailors. You can see how fiercely they’re competing. It’s brilliant!”
Gurgel’s tip for fans: Come to Schilksee
Gurgel describes the Kieler Woche sailing area as “very changeable”: “There’s often plenty of wind and sometimes rain. Then again, there are days with light winds. And there’s also a bit of a current in Kiel Bay. Sailors are in for a treat: nice waves when the wind is from the east, and fairly calm waters when it’s from the west.” Gurgel’s tip for fans: “Definitely come to Schilksee and soak up the atmosphere! You can watch the races on the TV track live on the big screen. Or walk from Strande towards Bülck and watch a few races. Don’t forget: pack your binoculars!”
What Max Gurgel stands for
Max Gurgel is synonymous with offshore sailing at Kiel Week. The Big Boats are in action throughout the week. The programme includes classics such as the Aal Regatta, the Silbernes Band, double-handed races and the IDM ‘Inshore’, the Viking Challenge.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
