Jens Kroker has won the bronze medal at the World Championship of the inclusive Hansa classes at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Australia. In the Hansa 303 class, the Heidelberg native prevailed in a strong field and finished in third place. Frenchman Gauthier Bril secured the world championship title ahead of Poland's Piotr Chickoki. The title fights were characterised by challenging weather conditions. Excessive wind and rain meant that the race organisers were unable to complete the world championship as planned.
Challenging conditions and an exciting final
More than 200 sailors from 16 nations travelled to Australia to compete for the world championship titles in various Hansa classes. The regatta took place in a bay surrounded by mountains north of Sydney, which made for changeable and shifty winds. These challenging conditions led to exciting and close races in all classes. Jens Kroker reports: "Many of the athletes sometimes finished high up in the rankings and then in the midfield again." The German also experienced highs and lows, with his placings in the six qualifying races ranging from 1st to 11th place. The tension continued right to the end. Before the originally planned final races on Sunday, five sailors in the Hansa 303 class still had a chance of winning the world championship title - that's how close the field was. Gusts of up to 30 knots and heavy rain forced the race organisers to cancel the races in the gold and silver fleets on the last day. The title winners were therefore chosen based on the results after the six qualifying races. Kroker sailed a series with the following placings: 11th place (strike result), 1st place, 1st place, 2nd place, 1st place and 5th place.
Remarkable performance despite reduced training
For Jens Kroker, third place out of 75 starters in the Hansa 303 class is a great success, especially in view of his current life circumstances. The 55-year-old explains: "The focus of my life has shifted to my family and my job - there's not much time left for training." This makes his performance at this World Championship all the more remarkable. Kroker can look back on an impressive career, with his successes including victory at the 2008 Paralympics, two Paralympic silver medals (2000, 2012) and World Championship titles.
Exemplary organisation and inclusion in practice
The World Championship in Australia was not only characterised by exciting competitions, but also by excellent organisation. The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) had organised the inclusive world championship perfectly. Around 200 volunteer club members supported the sailors throughout the event. Jens Kroker and coach Christian Bittner praised the helpers as "always friendly, always attentive and at the same time unobtrusive", and that there was "a solution for every problem". Kroker is particularly impressed by the natural realisation of inclusion at the RPAYC: "There is not so much talk about inclusion here because nobody is excluded." The club has successfully combined its commitment to competitive sport with a strong commitment to inclusive sailing for many years.
Role model for inclusive sailing in Germany
As Managing Director of the Turning Point Foundation, Jens Kroker wants to establish the self-evident nature of inclusion experienced in Australia in Germany. "This naturalness can be a model for our events in the field of inclusive sailing," he emphasises. The foundation has set itself the goal of making sailing accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities. This is not just about physical or mental handicaps, but also about social barriers or a lack of financial resources. The foundation actively supports sailing clubs in Germany in developing inclusive programmes. This broader concept of inclusion was also the inspiration for Chris Mitchell, the developer of the Hansa class. The various boats in this class are characterised by a wide range of adaptation options, capsize safety and comparatively low purchase costs. They are used worldwide and are suitable for clubs that want to enter the inclusive sector. They could also be a useful addition to the classic Optimist.
