Musto Performance Skiffs at Kieler Woche - Race 4 & 5
by Andy Rice 27 Jun 2015 10:45 BST
26 June 2015
Ben Schooling on day 6 of Kieler Woche 2015 © Christian Beeck /
www.segel-bilder.de
Ben Schooling held on to a slender lead in the Musto Skiff fleet at Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) on Friday after scoring two 2nd places on the TV course. Germany's Iver Ahlmann, the 2011 winner at Kiel, surged away to a big lead in the light airs of race 4 and was never caught.
Schooling was locked in a close battle with fellow Brit Alistair Conn for 2nd and 3rd, but the series leader just edged out Conn before the finish.
However Conn got his revenge in race 5, winning the start and sailing away to take the victory. Ahlmann thought he'd got a good start, but the 2013 Kiel Wee winner from Switzerland, Roger Oswald, rolled over the top of the German with superior speed at a critical moment in the race.
Meanwhile Schooling was chasing Conn but could never quite catch him and settled for another 2nd place. Oswald crossed for 3rd, but discovered he was On Course Side (OCS) at the start and was disqualified. Ahlmann, fourth across the line, was elevated to 3rd in the scores, and has now moved to just a point behind Schooling in the overall standings.
The 29ers had been scheduled for TV coverage today, but at the time of writing the 91-boat fleet is set to feature on live TV and commentary on Saturday, from 1045am (German time).