49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans set for Kiel at the end of July
by Hermann Hell 2 Jul 2017 10:33 BST
27 July - 4 August 2017
Robert Scheidt, Olympic Champion from 1996 and 2004 in the Laser Class, is now racing in 49er class © Kieler Woche /
www.segel-bilder.de
After Kiel Week, events continue on the outer fjord in Kiel Schilksee with high speed racing. From 27th July until 4th August, the fastest Olympic classes; the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra17 will be on the water for some dynamic racing during the European Champioships in Kiel. This time, the Nacra17 can for the first time show their ability to 'fly' with the new foils in a regatta.
There is not much recovery time for the sailors in Kiel. One big sailing event follows after the other. After Kiel Week, the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra17 only have a little time to be fit again, because there are only four weeks to go until the sailing elite again is guest on the fjord. The registration lists are full of sailing stars - even from New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Brazil, although they cannot compete to win the European titles, but they all want to win the regatta in one of the best sailing territories in the world.
Among them are the Olympic winners from Rio in the 49erFX, the Brazilian team of Martine Grael and Kahene Kunze have already won everything in their career, have been awarded World Sailors of the Year 2014, and definitely are the favourites in the fleet of 55 registered skiffs. The German team is represented by six boats and are also aiming for a top ranking. Victoria Jurczok/Anika Lorenz (Kiel) had to be content with ranking ninth in Rio, but their third-placed in the 2016 Worlds 2016 shows they are always up for winning a medal - just like Lutz/Susann Beucke (Prien/Strande), who won Kiel Week last year and now want to attack again. This is also the case for Jule and Lotta Goerge, who grew up at the bay of Strande - their home territory.
"Am I too old?" The 44-year old Brazilian Robert Scheidt has been asking himself that question after six times participating at the Olympics and deciding: "No!" As long as he is waking up each morning saying, he wants to go sailing, this is exactly right for him. Also after the change from the relatively gentle Laser to the high-powered skiff, "I like the boat, the concept behind it and the racing. It is a challenge for me.", he explained during Kiel Week. After he already won Olympic medals in the Laser and Star classes, he is now aiming at sailing in the top of the 49er fleet at the European Championship - together with his crew Gabriel Borges.
Eight boats have already registered for the German team. Altogether, 74 boats will be at the start line. Olympic bronze medallists Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (Kiel) will be absent due to other obligations, but Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme (Kiel) are keen to win the European title like they did in 2015. "We will definitely take part", says a happy Justus Schmidt.
A bit smaller, but no less exciting is the Nacra17 fleet, who are participating with a completely new concept. So far, the mixed catamarans have been sailed with the C-foils. Now they are changing to the Z-foils, which make the catamaran a fully foiling flying boat. Since not all crews are willing or able to make this change, there will be two rating classes in Kiel: the open regatta for C-foils and the European Championship for Z-foils. The whole elite of Olympic catamaran sailing is represented among the 36 registrations: Santiago Lange from Argentina who was awarded Sailor of the Year for his Olympic gold medal, with his sailing partner Cecilia Carranza Saroli, will again try to keep the Rio silver medallists, Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin from Australia, at bay. The top candidate for the European title is Thomas Zajac (Austria). Despite a crew change, the Olympic bronze medallist is back on track, which he proved by winning Kiel Week with his new crew Barbara Matz.
How the transformation from C to Z foils works, and whether there are any differences between the new boats and the old boats that have been adjusted with a conversion kit remains exciting. German hopes are pinned on Jan Hauke Erichsen/Ann Kristin Wedemeyer (Flensburg) and Paul Kohlhoff (Kiel), who is now starting with team partner Luisa Krüger after separating with from his former crew Carolina Werner.