In the international 420s, the Ukrainian colours were visible from afar in the harbour apron on Monday as Sviatoslav Madonich/Dmytro Karabadzhak had their mainsail up at the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre. When the Ukrainian teams come to Kiel Week, they don't just do it for the sporting success. They also present the blue and yellow flag in their sails, the national abbreviation UKR, as ambassadors of a nation at war. Madonich/Karabadzhak could win a Kiel Week medal for Ukraine.
For the 420 duo, their home in the Ukraine has only been a sporadic stopover for over two years. They tour regattas throughout Europe and live and train in Italy. Helmsman Sviatoslav Madonich made a name for himself with sixth places at the 2022 and 2023 Opti World Championships, while foreskipper Dmytro Karabadzhak was one of the world's top young Ilca sailors. They now form a team together and have been provided with a boat by the 420 shipyard Nautivela. "We'll be testing the new boat during Kiel Week and preparing it for the European and World Championships," says Karabadzhak. After the hot regatta phase, the plan is to visit home in Ukraine. "Whenever possible, I visit my parents and my two sisters. At the moment we talk a lot on the phone. But it's always a tense situation," says Karabadzhak. It is still possible for the 17-year-old to travel to Ukraine and back to Italy. When he comes of age next year, he will no longer be able to do so.
Also ahead in the 470
Yehor Samarin/Yelyzaveta Vasylenko will also be flying the Ukrainian flag at Kieler Woche in the 470s. The 470 mixed team lives and trains in Dnipro, south-east of the capital Kiev. They have travelled over 2,000 kilometres from central Ukraine to Kiel in their boat. "Because of the Olympic Games, there are currently only a few regattas in our class. That's why we're happy to be taking part in Kiel Week," says the 23-year-old helmsman. Yehor Samarin had hoped to qualify for the Games, but was unable to get his ticket to Marseille. Now he is already looking ahead to the next Olympic cycle with his 17-year-old fore-sailor.
As a sailor and trainer, sailing is Samarin's professional focus. Yelyzaveta Vasylenko, on the other hand, has just finished school and is thinking about studying: "But there are still a lot of question marks. That's why I'm currently focussing on my sailing training." The pair enjoy Kiel Week as an opportunity to compete against the international field and improve their own performance. However, the situation at home, where life is accompanied by constant air raids and sail training is only possible to a limited extent, is a recurring theme. "Some participants ask - especially the Poles, for whom the war is very close," says Yehor Samarin. "And I think we should talk about it. We are not in a position to stop the war. The world has to do something, otherwise it will continue in Europe."
