Warnemünde Week: French win in the 505, Munich win Champions League Qualifier
YACHT-Redaktion
· 08.07.2024
A long wait, a late start and two award ceremonies: In the balmy summer breeze, the athletes of the 86th Warnemünde Week had to be patient on Monday. After several postponed starts, the decision was finally made in the afternoon that there would be no more starts on the dinghy courses. For the 505s, this meant that the Frenchmen Philippe Boite and Marin Carnot were the winners of the Euro Cup 2024, as Monday was already the last day of the regatta for the Fives.
Mona Küppers gives the starting signal for Rund Bornholm
For the Ilca classes, on the other hand, the final will not take place until 9 July. The start of the Zoom8 World Championship, originally scheduled for Monday, has been postponed by one day to Tuesday. However, no races will be lost for the time being, as a reserve day was planned for the World Championship from the outset. Sailing finally took place on Monday after all. The race committee found a light touch to send the yachts onto the course for the classic Rund Bornholm. The race could even more than live up to the description "long distance", as there was no question of shortening the 280 nautical mile course despite the sluggish winds.
You are sailing!" (Laura Kühlewind)
In contrast to the other classes, the sea sailors were ordered onto the Baltic Sea early on Monday. They were told to be ready in the starting area so that the race organisers could react as flexibly as possible on the water. And in the end they succeeded - despite the delay of around an hour. "First of all, we didn't have any wind either, or just a light breeze from various directions. We constantly monitored the development and waited for a more constant wind. When the wind came from the north to north-west, we sent the fleet out on the course," reported race director Laura Kühlewind. It wasn't a fast start, but Kühlewind was relieved to realise: "They're sailing!"
The starting signal for the 26 crews in two groups was given by DSV President Mona Küppers. The fleet spread out shortly after the start and sailed like a long string of pearls along the coast of the Darß to the north-east. As expected, the former Volvo Ocean Race winner with skipper Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt and his crew, the VO60 "Illbruck", quickly took the lead.
All weather at the Warnemünde Week
In the other classes, however, the wait for the wind was not rewarded. The regatta organisers led by chief race officer Peter Ramcke hoped for hour after hour that the longed-for breeze would materialise. In the afternoon, however, the participants in the 505s, the three Ilca classes and the Zoom8 were not to be kept waiting any longer. With the decision to abandon the race, all eyes immediately turned to the next day. "That looks better. We should have sailable wind," Ramcke optimistically gave the thumbs up for the rest of the Warnemünde Week regatta.
Meanwhile, the 505s were already allowed to go to the award ceremony. They should have sailed two more races on Monday. But nothing came of it. So the organisers called for the prize-giving ceremony in the engine shed in the early afternoon. The intermediate result from Sunday was also the final result. Frenchmen Philippe Boite and Marin Carnot were delighted with their strong performance in Warnemünde.
In the fierce gusts of the first day and the champagne conditions on Sunday, they impressively demonstrated their strength with four wins and a second place in five races. "We are very happy. It's been a great few days here in Warnemünde and we hope we can come back here again soon with a world championship," said Philippe Boite.
Yesterday was dream conditions. We had a good slide on the water" (Frank Feller)
Tim and Finn Böger, who managed to snatch a race win from the victorious French in the last race of the series, were delighted with silver. Lutz Stengel and Frank Feller from Rostock were also satisfied with bronze on their home turf. "We had actually hoped that there wouldn't be quite as much wind. Which doesn't really suit us. But we did quite well," said helmsman Lutz Stengel. Foresailor Frank Feller added: "Saturday was very rough - almost unsailable. Occasionally we had to lower the spinnaker on the downwind leg. We were glad that we didn't tip over during the race. But we did get caught out afterwards. Yesterday, however, the conditions were perfect. We got into a nice slide on the water. A dream for every sailor."
Seven tickets to the Champions League final
The glorious sailing Sunday was also part of the programme at the third and final qualifier for the Sailing Champions League final. As guests of the Academic Sailing Club in Warnemünde, 17 club teams from eleven nations competed for the remaining seven tickets to the final from 26 to 29 September in Vilamoura, Portugal. In the end, after a strong final spurt, the team from the Munich Yacht Club took the top spot on the podium. The other six final tickets were won by Tønsberg Seilforening, Astgård Seilforening, Joersfelder Segel-Club from Berlin, Yacht Club de Cherbourg, the Warnemünde hosts from Akademischer SegelVerein Warnemünde and Segelclub Mattsee.
The international league sailors experienced almost the entire range of conditions that regatta sailing has to offer. Outstanding boat handling was required in winds of up to 29 knots at the top. The programme included champagne sailing in sunshine and temperatures of around 25 degrees as well as rain and an air temperature of just 15 degrees. On Monday, the decisions were finally made in challenging light winds.
