In 2012, the German sea sailors will determine their champions during the North Sea Week (25 to 28 May) and the Kiel Week (16 to 24 June). The German Sailing Association has thus placed the International German Sailing Championship in trusted hands. "We made the decision by consensus and awarded the offshore championship to Helgoland and the inshore championship to Kiel," said the Chairman of the DSV Sailing Committee, Dr Wolfgang Schäfer (Lüneburg). A total of four applications were received for the IDM for sea sailing.
With the North Sea Week and the Kiel Week, two major events were chosen in which the International German Sailing Championship was repeatedly integrated. The North Sea Week has already been organised three times, Kiel seven times. "The area around Heligoland is the perfect offshore sailing area. And the team around Stefan Lehnert has already done an outstanding job several times," says Schäfer. Kiel was not only favoured because of its experience and the well prepared bid, but also because the Kieler Yacht-Club is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2012. The tight schedule did not allow the DSV Sailing Committee to organise a German Championship outside of existing major events next year.
"We are looking forward to hosting the inshore championship with our new racecourse team," explained Eckhard von der Mosel, Head of Organisation of Kieler Woche Seebahnen. Kieler Woche 2012 will feature new race officers and new concepts on land. The International German Inshore Championship will then be held as part of the Kiel Cup (Monday 18 June to Wednesday 20 June of Kiel Week). The organisers are expecting 35 to 40 ORCi yachts to take part.
This is the 17th IDM for sea sailing since 1996, which was expanded to include the offshore championship in 2009. To date, the IDM has been held seven times in Kiel, five times in Flensburg, three times off Helgoland and once each off Lübeck, Neustadt and Warnemünde (16 x inshore, 2 x offshore separately, 2009 inshore and offshore in Flensburg).
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
