Over 330 boats competed at the "Strander KÜZ" on the three regatta courses of the Kieler Yacht-Club (KYC) and the Yacht Club Strande (YCS), where their sailors fought for the title of state youth champion in their classes. These were Opti A and B, 29er, ILCA 4 and 6, Teeny and 420er. While the participants had to contend with light winds and currents at the beginning, it was pure cream sailing at the end.
"At the start on Saturday, the wind was a long time coming with sunshine and warm temperatures: the start was postponed. Then it freshened up and we were able to start the first races in light winds," reports race director Kai Bertallot. "On Sunday we went straight onto the water. The easterly wind picked up as the day progressed, building up waves and whitecaps in Strander Bucht: Really nice conditions - and a day for the strong wind specialists."
Record number of participants and logistical challenges
With almost 400 young sailors from three nations, the "Strander KÜZ" once again celebrated a record number of participants. This placed huge demands on the organisers in terms of organisation and logistics. "On Saturday evening alone, we distributed over 600 meals. The successful balancing act between the races and the land event was particularly praised," said a delighted Philipp Sudbrack, head coach of the Kiel Yacht Club. "In recent years, we have organised one of the largest junior regattas in the world. With our Strander team, our partners and sponsors and the help of many parents. The Strander KÜZ is still a family event today. I hope it will stay that way," the 29-year-old continues.
A shower of medals for the next generation
The local heroes of the KYC collected the most medals. In the national rankings, they won four gold, four silver and three bronze medals; one silver and one bronze each went to members of the Flensburger Segel-Club and the Segler-Vereinigung Malente-Gremsmühlen e.V., while a further 12 clubs sailed to the podium once each. In the overall ranking of athletes from all over Germany, Denmark and the Ukraine, the sailors from Kiel were also the most frequent podium finishers with two gold and two silver medals. Two podium places each went to the sailors from the Mühlenberger Segelclub, the Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein and the Segler-Club Dümmer, with five other clubs taking single podium places each.
National youth champion and the best overall
The championship title for the youngest Opti A Karolina Schläfer (Lübecker Segler- Verein/ Lübecker Yacht-Club) took first place by just one point ahead of Josephine Korth (Kieler Yacht-Club). Third place went to Titus Rohn (Kieler Yacht-Club). Victory in the overall standings Opti A Emil Frederik Boss Nyby (Hellerup Sejlklub / Sletten Sailing Team), followed by Johnny Seekamp (Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen e. V.) and Lars Schmitz (Düsseldorfer Yachtclub e. V.).
At the top of the Opti B Johann Engel (Kieler Yacht-Club), followed by Bo Prange (Kieler Yacht-Club) and Finja Zülsdorff (Sportschulverein Louisenlund e.V.).
The national and overall results also matched in the 29er: National champion in the 29er were Hanno Rix / Maximilian Reuner (Kieler Yacht-Club). Second and third place in the national rankings went to Loulou Unkelbach / Jonna Hausberg (Kieler Yacht-Club) and Maximilian Böhm / Liv-Grete Böttger (Segelclub Preetz e.V / Kieler Yacht-Club).
Best among Schleswig-Holstein's young people in the ILCA 4 was Nikos Beckmann (Kieler Yacht-Club), followed by Friedrich Beckmann (Kieler Yacht-Club) and Marit Janna Durst (Kieler Yacht-Club). Overall best in the ILCA 4 was Paul Fiete Hickstein (Segler-Club Dümmer e. V. ). Cassandra Jansch (Mühlenberger Segel-Club e. V.) and Nick Lahme (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein e.V. ) followed in second and third place.
In the ILCA 6 Max Struve (Kieler Yacht-Club) sailed to the top of the podium, Anton Thonfeld (Flensburger Segel-Club) in second place and Moritz Engel (Kieler Yacht-Club) in third place. The ILCA 6-Victor Hensel (Freie Vereinigung der Tourensegler Grünau 1898 e. V.) took the overall victory, followed by Hanne Jansch (Mühlenberger Segel-Club e. V.) and Elisa Hartenberger (Yachtclub Hohen Wieschendorf e.V.).
National winner in the Teeny was Theo von Criegern / Nieke Visser (Yacht-Club Strande), Max Hümme / Magnus Decius (Segler-Vereinigung Malente-Gremsmühlen) took the runner-up title, Moritz Jung / Mia Schulz (Segler-Vereinigung Malente-Gremsmühlen) came third. The overall winners of the class were Frederike Eichmann / Nina Charlotte Mehl (both Klub am Rupenhorn e. V. ), followed by Theo Blesken (Segler Club Dümmer / Klub am Rupenhorn)/ Johann Meyer (Yachtclub Papenburg ) and the state winners in second and third place.
Philipp Helms / Leonard Kersten (Regattaverein Nautic 80 Club Nautic) won the title of the 420 in the national ranking and overall. Second and third place in the national rankings went to Mathilda Nowotka-Bachmann / Emma Lindemalm (Segel-Club Eckernförde) and Saskia Brünning / Jette Petersen (Flensburger Segel-Club). In the overall standings, Clara Sigge (Essener Turn- und Fechtklub e. V.)/ Paul Schmitz (Düsseldorfer Yachtclub e. V.) sailed to second place, Charlotte Conrad/ Lena Gödicke (both Norddeutscher Regatta Verein e.V.) to third place.
