Kieler Woche - Day 2
by Hermann Hell 18 Jun 2017 23:06 BST
17-25 June 2017
Iordanis Paschalidis / Konstantinos Trigkonis (GRE) are the leaders of Formula 18 class after day 2 at Kieler Woche © Kieler Woche / okPress.de
Sun in Kiel-Schilksee! What was the visitors' pleasure, was causing concerns for weather experts and the race committee. Because the predicted West wind was endangered to collapse by the thermal influence of the solar radiation. But the balancing act between the weather systems worked out better than thought.
In the evening, the Head of Organisation of the Kiel Week, Dirk Ramhorst, could announce the fulfilment of a full program with only one race for the keel boats on course Foxtrott, two races for the Europes, Contenders and OK-dinghies, but a full programme of three to five races for all other classes on the triangular courses. For Monday, the expected wind scenario is even more complicated, so the start has been already postponed to 1pm.
2.4mR
Matthew Bugg, the Australian silver medal winner of the Paralympicses 2016, can handle the pressure well, it seems. Since the first start at the Kiel Week he has a disqualification for an early start on his record and cannot afford any more negative results, since Heiko Kroeger (Ammersbek/Germany) is very close behind him. But the man from Down Under is coping well with this mental burden and is still in the lead after the second day - but only with one point ahead of Kroeger. Dee Smith (USA), the fourth from Rio, is the third one on the podium of international sailors. In the first part of the event, the boat class is sailed as an open class for disabled and non-disabled sailors. But the Paralympic sailors are showing their non-disabled competitors the stern at the moment.
29er
Only in wait for a place on the podium are the Germans in the 29er Euro Cup. At the top of the fleet, Rok Verderber/Klemen Semelbauer from Slovenia are leading, followed by Theo Revil/Gautier Guevel from France and MikolajStaniul/Kajetan Jablonski from Poland.
505
Kiel Week is the direct preparation for the European Championship of the 505 class, which takes place during the Warnemuende Week. And the European Champions and third-ranked at the Worlds in 2013, the brothers Joergen and Jacob Bojsen-Moeller from Denmark, seem to be already well on track for that. With four victories and two second places, they are keeping the five-time World Champion Wolfgang Hunger (Strande/Germany) with his crew Julien Kleiner (Munich/Germany) at a distance. So it will be difficult for the record Kiel Week winner Hunger to win his 22. title on his home territory this year. The French Philippe Boite/Fountaine Mathieu are currently on rank three.
Contender
The German-Dutch duel as a preparation for the highlight of the season (the World Championship in Sonderborg in July) continues in the Contender. And again the Northern neighbours are holding all the aces. Jesper Nielsen (Denmark) is leading the fleet, followed by Christoph Homeier from Bremen (Germany) and Paul Verhallen (Netherlands).
Europe
In the mixed fleet of the Europe, the light winds on Sunday were according to the women's taste. The Danish Anna Livbjerg could situate herself at the top of the fleet with two victories with the Norwegian Lars Johan Brodtkorb and Fabian Kirchhoff (Huede/Germany) behind.
Flying Dutchman
Szabolcs Majthenyi/András Domokos, five-time Kiel Week winner in the Flying Dutchman, have been waiting for their next success in Kiel-Schilksee since 2014. And after the first half of their races, they have to realise, that two German crews are currently hard to beat. Kay Uwe Luedtke/Kai Schaefers (Stechlin), Vice World Champions of the previous year, are leading with a place five and five stage victories, followed by Kilian king/Johannes Brack (Waldeck), the Kiel Week title defenders and thirds at the Worlds 2016.
Laser 4.7/Laser Radial
In the Junior Laser class, the German sailors only seem to have a chance for the podium in the Laser 4.7. Julian Hoffmann (Immenstadt) is currently on rank two behind the Swiss Felix Baudet. Nicholas Bezy (Hongkong) has taken over the lead in the Laser Radial.
More information and full results at Kiel Week 2017 can be found at www.Kieler-Woche.de