Kieler Woche: First A-level exams, then sailing - the golden goals of the silver Sach brothers
Tatjana Pokorny
· 25.06.2024
All beginnings are difficult. Top talents Anton and Johann Sach will also have to experience this at the 130th Kieler Woche. The brothers, who won the 2021 Kieler Woche in the youth skiff 29er, have since switched to the Olympic skiff 49er. Since a training camp in Portugal over New Year's Eve, the young Sachs have been sailing in the class in which Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel won two Olympic bronze medals in Rio in 2016 and Enoshima in 2021. Johann Sach summarises his crew's long-term goal: "We want to go to the Olympic Games and win gold. Preferably not just once."
We had to postpone the Abitur exam a bit" (Johann Sach)
Before that, Johann Sach had to take his oral Abitur exam on Tuesday morning of Kiel Week in Eutin, covering the subjects of foreign trade and environmental policy, before the sailor hurried back to the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre to continue the 49er regatta of Kiel Week with his younger brother and helmsman. "We had to postpone the A-level exams a little," says Johann Sach with a smile, referring to the school's kindness and the sailing priorities in his team, "we managed to ensure that there was no missing out on sailing."
Gaining experience in the silver fleet
In their first 49er year, the ambitious Sachs narrowly missed out on qualifying for the gold fleet of the best 23 senior crews at this 130th Kiel Week, but after three days they were in the leading group of the silver fleet. Anton Sach had started the Kieler Woche, which began with three races on the exhausting first day, with a severe cold. "We fell a little short of our expectations here. We thought we might be able to do better, but unfortunately we only ended up in the silver fleet. But we will do everything we can to win this if possible. It's important for us to gain as much experience as possible, which we can then hopefully utilise at the Junior World Championships in three weeks' time," says Johann Sach.
The small silver fleet setback will not stop the young Schleswig-Holsteiners on their way to the top in their home waters. They are already members of the NK 2 junior squad and want to qualify for NK 1 at the 49er Junior World Championships in Spain in July. Both brothers cite the New Zealand 49er Olympic champions, America's Cup winners and defenders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who also won the SailGP regatta off New York last weekend, as role models. What can the Kiwis do that the Sachs would also like to master? Johann Sach says: "They can sit on any boat and beat any opponent as quickly as possible. That's the goal: to be able to adapt to everything as quickly as possible."
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are great role models" (Anton Sach)
Anton Sach agrees and says: "Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are great role models. But also Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel, because they've come so far." Erik Heil, who lives in Strande, and his coxswain Thomas Plößel have not only won more than one Olympic medal in two consecutive games with two bronze medals. Erik Heil is also the helmsman of the new Germany SailGP team. The racing team is owned by four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and entrepreneur Thomas Riedel. The team is the first to fly the German flag in this leading international professional series on F50 racing catamarans.
Golden dreams and professional goals
In addition to Olympic gold, the Sachs have other dreams, as Johann Sach explains: "It would be a huge dream to make it to the top with Germany at some point in the America's Cup or SailGP. There's still a long way to go. But I think it's possible." The two grounded brothers know that they will have to continue to work hard and be patient as they climb the ladder. "It takes time, but at some point the switch will come," surmises Johann Sach. As a family crew, the young Sach-Dynamos have the best prerequisites for competitive sport.
We kept our Opti career simple, but always had a lot of fun" (Johann Sach)
Despite the success of their father and uncle Christian and Helge Sach, the brothers grew up without any pressure to perform. "We sailed less in our childhood compared to other children and young people. For us, it was water sports as a whole that created a beautiful environment in which we always had fun. This also included windsurfing and much more ...", says Johann Sach. For example, they didn't travel all over Europe to Opti regattas, preferring to stay at home. "We kept our Opti career simple and always had a lot of fun," says Johann Sach, looking back on a happy childhood. Sach's stories were often also laugh-out-loud stories.
They grew up in Zarnekau, a district of the municipality of Süsel in the Schleswig-Holstein district of Ostholstein. "We've always done everything together since Anton was born. A good understanding of each other is incredibly helpful, especially in a skiff. We know exactly what makes each other tick," says Johann Sach, explaining the strong bond between the brothers, which is of particular benefit to them in the 49er, which requires a lot of balance and coordination. When they switched to the 29er youth skiff four years ago, the brothers quickly realised that they wanted more. The Kieler Woche victory in 2021 whetted their sporting appetite to the max. Not only did they savour the sweet feeling of victory, but also the infectious enthusiasm of the audience, who celebrated their success in style.
Valuable brothers' ribbon in the Olympic skiff
The brothers know each other's strengths inside out. Coxswain Anton Sach says of his tall brother: "Johann has an incredibly good understanding of the wind. He can adjust the boat extremely quickly and knows how to make a boat fast." The older brother bows to his younger brother: "Anton has such a good feel for steering. I've also sailed with other helmsmen, but none of them could do it anywhere near as well as Anton. He often makes the right decisions thanks to his good feeling for wind and waves."
The young up-and-coming duo realise that the 2028 Olympic Games are coming quite early for them. But they want to take their chance. Johann Sach knows: "The international level in the 49er is incredibly high." Which is why the brothers see their first year in the 49er after Johann's A-levels and Anton's change of school as an "orientation period" and optimisation phase. One thing is clear, says Johann Sach: "We want to sail as much as possible."
As they compete in the attractive Olympic skiff, the likeable North German athletes will receive a lot of support, for example from the Schleswig-Holstein Sailing Association and coach Thomas Rein, who also accompanied Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel on their way to their first bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro. The Lübeck Yacht Club is the home club of the young up-and-comers in the German Sailing Team's junior squad.
Our father is not only a role model as a sailor" (Johann Sach)
The fact that Anton and Johann Sach consciously set themselves high goals and clearly state them speaks for their determination. They have learnt this from their father Christian Sach, as Johann reveals: "Our father is not only a role model as a sailor. His determination and his way of solving problems are exemplary. If you can go through life like that ..."
