Warnemünde Week: German sailors dominate European Cup

The German colours shine brightly at the top of several boat classes at the Europa Cup during Warnemünde Week. Julian Hoffmann leads the field in the Ilca7 class, closely followed by his team-mate Ole Schweckendiek. Levian Büscher has taken the lead in the Ilca6 class, while Jan-Philipp Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff dominate the 505 class. The regatta is characterised by changing wind conditions and the challenge of avoiding early starts.

Early start disqualifications

The Warnemünde Week presents the sailors with special challenges. Numerous participants in the Ilca7 class had to accept disqualifications due to early starts. Danish sailor Johan Schubert described his day as particularly tough: "An early start is always annoying. To be honest, it was a tough day, even though the conditions and sailing in the large fleet were fun." Despite these setbacks, the impact on the overall results remained limited thanks to the possibility of a strike result.

National coach Alexander Schlonski was satisfied with the performance of his protégés: "The wind was a bit up and down. That's why it wasn't easy today. But the boys did well overall." Julian Hoffmann and Ole Schweckendiek took first and second place in the Ilca7 class, followed at a considerable distance by Frenchman Alexandre Kowalski. Ole Schweckendiek was able to close the gap to Hoffmann with a win and a third place on the second day. "The first race was a start-finish victory. I even had the chance to rest a bit on the downwinder. But overall the wind was very tricky and you had to watch a lot," explained Schweckendiek.

Preparation for championships

For many sailors, the Warnemünde Week serves as preparation for upcoming championships. National coach Schlonski sees the regatta as an important step on the way to the European Championships: "After Warnemünde Week, we head straight to the European Championships venue in Marstrand, Sweden. We'll train there first and then have a little break before the European Championships." Ole Schweckendiek, on the other hand, is focussing on the U21 World Championships in Dublin at the end of August: "It's my last U21 year, so I'm concentrating on that. I'm travelling to Marstrand for training first, but then I'll still have time to go home."

Jan-Philipp Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff continue their winning streak in the 505cc class. With four wins in four races, they dominate the field. Coxswain Hofmann explains their success: "We have very good speed at the moment. That is the basis." The Düsseldorf crew sees the Warnemünde Week as an important step on the way to the European Championships in October: "We are still missing an international title. That would take our joint career to a new level."

Young talents

Young Levian Büscher from Düsseldorf took the lead in the Ilca6 class. He benefited from a weaker day for Danish sailor Anna Munch, who had problems at the start of the second race after finishing third in the first. She clashed with two competitors and had to chase after the field after extra curls: "I was probably 400 metres behind. Now it's all about working a bit more on the starts. That's the main focus. But I also want to work on my downwind technique. It's a good opportunity to train in the big field." After finishing fourth at the World Championships, the Dane now wants to grab a medal at the European Championships: "I have good speed at the moment. And if I do it well, then that should be possible." She is currently in second place ahead of her team-mate Mads Wegener Larsen at Warnemünde Week.

The Ilca4 class shows the importance of the Warnemünde Week for young talent. With participants from 17 nations, this class is particularly international. Estonian Robert Kesküla is in the lead, followed by German Anneli Stengel on her home turf and Irishman Rory Brennan-Hobbs in third place.

European Championship of the OK dinghies

The European Championship for OK dinghies started at the same time as the Warnemünde Week. After the first two races, the Swede Daniel Björndahl and the Briton Charlie Cumbley share the lead in the yellow group. The blue group was won by the Briton Andy Davis and the Dane Steen Christensen. Christensen was pleased with his start: "It's always good to start a championship with a win." He particularly appreciates the conditions in Warnemünde: "I really like the area. You can bring your family and they can do a lot here. I'm happy about that, and I like the weather and the open water here in Warnemünde."

The best German is Sebastian Schmidt-Klügmann in 11th place (14th, 4th), OC World Champion André Budzien is currently 13th with places 9th and 5th.

Sailing schedule Warnemünde Week