The Olympic classes
Mixed 470 class
The boat, crewed by a man and a woman at the tiller or bow and on the trapeze, has been an Olympic class since the 1976 Games in Montreal/Kingston. In the intervening years, the class was split into separate men’s and women’s categories at the Olympics; now the boat is crewed by mixed teams. The 470 has taken part in a total of twelve Olympic Games, making it a long-standing fixture in the programme. Twenty-one nations have won medals, which underlines the breadth of talent. The boat is ideally suited to light to medium-light sailors and serves as a good stepping stone to the even higher-performing, more modern classes.
| Technical specifications | Mixed 470 class |
| Length | 4.70 m |
| width | 1.60 m |
| Depth | 0.15–1.05 m |
| Weight | 120 kg |
| Wing area | 12.7 m² |
ILCA 6 and ILCA 7
The Olympic single-handed dinghy was known as the Laser until 2020. The Ilca 6, formerly the Laser Radial, is sailed by women. The men compete in the slightly more powerful Ilca 7, formerly the Laser Standard. The Laser was designed back in 1970 by the Canadian Bruce Kirby. It was renamed four years later. According to the German class association, around 220,000 of these single-handed dinghies have been sold worldwide to date, with around 4,000 new ones added each year. This makes the Ilca the best-selling sailing boat in the world.
| Technical specifications | ILCA 6 | ILCA 7 |
| Length | 4.24 m | 4.24 m |
| width | 1.37 m | 1.37 m |
| draught | 0.80 m | 0.80 m |
| Weight | 65 kg | 65 kg |
| Wing area | 5.76 m² | 7.04 m² |
49er and 49erFX
This high-performance boat, with its narrow, flat, kinked hull and wide-spanning wings, demands a great deal of acrobatic skill from the athletes. With the gennaker boom, the skiff measures 6.65 metres in length. The men’s 49er made its Olympic debut in 2008, whilst the 49er FX was introduced as a two-handed women’s skiff at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. The 49er FX is designed for a crew weight of 120 kilograms; the men ideally weigh 140 kilograms.
| Technical specifications | '49er | 49erFX |
| Length | 4.99 m | 4.99 m |
| Width (with wings) | 1.69/2.90 m | 1.69/2.90 m |
| Technical specifications for iQFoil | 8.50 m | 7.50 m |
| Weight (with wings) | 70/94 kg | 70/94 kg |
| Wing area | 21.2 m² | 19.6 m² |
Nacra 17 Mixed
A two-man catamaran with twin trapezes and foils. In the mixed category, this craft—designed in 2011—has been in use at the Olympic Games since the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The boat is as fast as it is demanding. Paul Kohlhoff from Kiel won the bronze medal at the 2020 Games in Japan with his bowman Alica Stuhlemmer. The curved retractable centreboards generate lift and raise the twin-hulled boat out of the water, thereby reducing drag and increasing speed, but making the boat more difficult to handle.
| Technical specifications | Nacra 17 Mixed |
| Length | 5.25 m |
| width | 2.99 m |
| Mast height | 9.00 m |
| Weight | 138 kg |
| Wing area | 20.1 m² |
The International Classes
The second part of the Giant Regatta offers the greatest variety in the area. From sleek youth boats to ageing Flying Dutchmen, there’s something for everyone.
The big guns
Traditionally, ocean-going yachts also take part in Kiel Week. There are also opportunities for beginners here
The seagoing yachts provide the sporting highlights in classic events such as the Aalregatta from Kiel to Eckernförde and back, as well as on the Stollergrund and in Kiel Bay, stretching as far as southern Denmark. They host three German Championships: the IDM Inshore (Eel Regatta 21–22 June + Kiel Cup from 22 to 24 June), the IDM Offshore (Eel Regatta 21–22 June + Silver Ribbon on 27–28 June) and the IDM Doublehand (Senate Prize on 25–26 June + Silver Ribbon on 27–28 June) for pairs. The latter two also take their challengers around Langeland. And off the Kiel-Wik naval base, the naval cutters will be holding their regattas from 21 to 28 June.
