Warnemünde Week: 86th Sailing Bliss Week opens brilliantly in a summer festival atmosphere
YACHT-Redaktion
· 07.07.2024
This regatta kick-off to Warnemünde Week was a real pleasure for the sea sailors, albeit a short one. With a half wind from the south, eleven yachts sped eastwards from the start of the Mecklenburger Bäderregatta. After just 2 hours, 12 minutes and 38 seconds, the fastest team on Matthias Mier's Brenta 55 "Ember Sea" from Warnemünde had mastered the 22 nautical mile course and crossed the finish line off the centre pier.
A fast ride at the swimming regatta
A slightly reduced fleet of yachts had opened the course towards Kühlungsborn on the first Saturday of the 86th Warnemünde Week. The 75-foot maxi and Kieler Woche Line Honours runner-up "Calypso", of all boats, had to cancel its sails for the Mecklenburgische Bäderregatta due to technical problems. Race director Laura Kühlewind was able to send the remaining field off without any problems: "It was a relaxed start to the sea regattas. We started in 15 to 17 knots of wind, later it got a bit stronger. But there were no difficulties," said Kühlewind.
This was also confirmed by the skipper of the "Maiko". John Victorin's Farr 30 from Warnemünde crossed the finish line after the "Ember Sea" and finished second in the ORC classification behind Matthias Curschmann's "Warnow Old Stars" on a Projection 762. John Victorin said: "The conditions were good despite some strong gusts. The wind varied between 15 and 30 knots. That's why we were a bit cautious on the way back, only hoisting the spinnaker briefly. We didn't want to risk anything for the long distance round Bornholm." In the yardstick classification, on the other hand, the "Ember Sea" was the fastest yacht in first place, even after the calculated time.
Finns lead in Champions League qualifier
In the third and final qualifier for the final of the Sailing Champions League, the Finnish team from Mariehamns Seglarförening was ahead of the Munich Yacht Club and the French Yacht Club Cherbourg after the first five of a total of 16 planned flights on J/70 boats. As the second-best German club team, the Joersfelder Segel-Club was initially positioned in seventh place on Saturday evening. The SV03 Berlin sailing club followed in ninth place. The host Akademischer SegelVerein Warnemünde started the series in tenth place behind Regattaclub Bodensee after five races in the Hohe Düne marina.
Before the wind it was absolute fun today!" (Andreas Krabbe Christensen)
Andreas Krabbe-Christensen came off the water with a big grin on his face. The Dane initially secured the lead in the Ilca 7 field with a second and a third place. "Before the wind, it was absolute fun today," reported Andreas Krabbe-Christensen. He continued: "But it was also super exhausting. You had to ride out intensively and sail the others tired. The wind was shifty and gusty. It was important to avoid mistakes." Krabbe-Christensen's plans for the future are to push further into the world elite: "We have a strong squad in Denmark and are constantly developing. My goal is to be part of the World Cup squad for 2026." Krabbe-Christensen is followed by his compatriot Thomes Jörgensen and Australian Michael Compton.
Warnemünde Week: Rindom rehearses for the Olympics
In the Ilca 6, some world-class female sailors compete against each other in a mixed field at the Warnemünde Week. It is not only Olympic and world champion Anne-Marie Rindom's last test before the Olympic Games. The Dane is happy to be able to put her form to the test one last time under competitive conditions in Warnemünde. The 33-year-old bronze and gold medallist at the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Games recently had to withdraw from Kieler Woche. "My arm was overloaded, a kind of tennis elbow. But things are improving. Today was exhausting, but it went quite well. And it was warm, really great sailing," said Anne-Marie Rindom at Warnemünde Week.
Anne-Marie Rindom praised the race committee on day one: "They did a good job and had us back in the harbour before the wind got too strong." After two races with a second place and a race win, Rindom was initially in second place behind her compatriot Anna Munch, who started the series with two wins. Anne Marie Rindom, who is once again one of the great Danish hopefuls at the Olympic regatta in the Bay of Marseille, also offers a good internal comparison with her compatriot Anna Munch.
Strong comeback for Hannah Anderssohn
Hannah Anderssohn celebrated a fantastic return to regatta action in the same field. The Rostock native had spent the last three months focussing on university. "I wasn't particularly active during this phase, I practically came in from the cold. But it felt good." Hannah Anderssohn confirmed her good feeling on the water: She opened her home match at the Warnemünde Week impressively with a win and followed it up with a third place This put her in third place behind the Danish duo after day one.
It will be difficult to defend my Warnemünde Week title from last year with the strong women here" (Hannah Anderssohn)
Nevertheless, Hannah Anderssohn knows: "It will be difficult to defend my Warnemünde Week title from last year with the strong women here. But I enjoy the home competition and just want to give something back to Warnemünde." A very mixed international field is competing for the top positions in the junior sailors' Ilca 4. Six nations made the battle for the top ten positions a multinational affair at the start. On Saturday evening, Jiri Tomes from the Czech Republic took the lead ahead of Anatoli Zoubovski from Cyprus and Beáta Dokoupilova from the Czech Republic.
In the 505s, the day turned into an "elimination race" in the gusty wind. A number of crews from the fast fives did not even take to the water, with some turning back before the first start. In the end, only 24 duos remained in the race. Frenchmen Philippe Boite and Marin Carnot led the 505 field after two race wins ahead of local heroes Lutz Stengel and Frank Feller from the Rostock Yacht Club, who came second. In third place after two third places were Stefan Böhm and Gerald Roos from Segel-Club Ville and Ruder-Club Rastatt 1898.
Warnemünde Week is the "best advertisement" for the Baltic seaside resort
The opening day of the 86th Warnemünde Week was also a complete success on land. With around 2,300 participants, the traditional "Niege Ümgang" was refreshingly well attended. Eva-Maria Kröger, Mayor of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock, officially opened the 86th Warnemünde Week with five jagged taps of the keg beer from the Hanseatic Brewery Rostock.
Tourism Director Matthias Fromm described Warnemünde Week as the best advertisement for the Baltic seaside resort of Warnemünde. He was delighted with the positive response to the event on the opening day. As a sailing highlight, he emphasised the world championship of the Zoom 8 class, which will be held close to the public on a regatta course in front of Warnemünde beach. "We have a really ambitious sporting programme here with athletes from 28 nations, which started today with the Champions League, the bathing regatta and the 505s and 185 Ilcas," said Mona Küppers, President of the German Sailing Association.
Mona Küppers is also looking forward to the Zoom8 World Championship, a boat class for children and young people that is not sailed that often in Germany. Mona Küppers' tip for all visitors to the 86th Warnemünde Week: If you want to experience the sailing and regatta atmosphere up close, the new harbour on the central pier is the best place to do so, where the active sailors start and return to the races.
