5.5 Metre German Open 2025 in Warnemunde - Overall
by Robert Deaves 1 Jun 10:48 BST
May 29-31, 2025
Bent Christian Wilhelmsen's Otto (NOR 68, Lasse Berthelsen, Sam Haines, Kyle Gundersen) has won the 2025 5.5 Metre German Open in Warnemunde after only one final race was possible on Saturday in very light winds. New Moon III (BAH 25, Christoph Burger, Kim Chabani, Peter Vlasov) take second with Ali Baba in blue (GER 125, Andreas Haubold, Martina Klemmt, Daniel Brambeer) in third and the first German boat.
It was always going to be the lightest day of the event, but again the reality was much lighter than the forecast. Starting in just 4-5 knots the wind got lighter and lighter ending in barely a zephyr as the fleet inched around the course. Further racing was abandoned.
While Beta Crucis (AUS 63, Martin Cross, Bob Stoddard, Simon Reffold) was back on the water, the head-to-head race was between Otto and New Moon III.
New Moon got the first beat right, finding better pressure to the left of Otto to round ahead. Prettynama (GER 79, Max Müller, Max Steigl, Philipp Müller) rounded second with Ali Baba in blue in third. Otto rounded deep, but an early gybe round the spreader mark quickly brought them up to fourth where they stayed for the remainder of the race
New Moon III slipped away and extended downwind for a nice lead at the gate, with the wind now at just 2-3 knots. Beta Crucis made some good gains to round the gate in second with Ali Baba in blue in third.
The second upwind was shortened, and New Moon looked to have it in the bag. With a second race looking unlikely, they needed to win the race to take the title. But the fickle wind was having none of that. They lost a lot of ground at the top with a double tack needed to lay the mark, and then were swallowed up by Beta Crucis and Ali Baba in blue after the first gybe. New Moon were left with little option to gybe away again to get clear air but when they came together at the gate, Ali Baba in blue was just ahead to take the win from Beta Crucis and New Moon.
With Otto in fourth the two were now tied on points with Otto have three wins to New Moon's two. New Moon needed a second race, but despite a light onshore breeze building for a while, it didn't last and soon after 1300 the fleet was sent ashore. Racing was over and Otto had won by the narrowest of margins.
Ali Baba in blue was the best German boat, to take the German Open Championship.
Martina Klemmt said, "It was the first time for us sailing a Modern and we are very happy that we did so well. It was great fun. Thanks a lot to Wölfi for letting us sail his boat. The boat is quite fast and we think we found the right way in the races.
The team is normally racing a Folkboat and a 6 Metre. "We came into the class because of Wölfi. He asked us the first time to sail the classic and then we moved to his Evolution and then here to the Modern. There has been a warm welcome from the whole class, everyone very helpful and kind. It's a nice class to sail in."
Although Bent Christian Wilhemlsen was unable to race this event, he sent his team to take part and learn more about the boat and the new setups before next week's world championship in Sopot, Poland. The team were joined by Sam Haines in the middle and the win here clearly provides more confidence heading into the world championship.
He said, "It was a good week with the Otto team, a good experience to race with these guys compared with the British boats I am normally on. We had low expectations from the beginning and learned a bit about their boat with them. The racing was good and the boys did a great job of carrying me around the course.
"It's been a really nice week of sailing with mates really, with the rest of the extended 5.5 family that we may not see at the worlds but good to see so many boats on the water. It was a very friendly environment."
"As a venue, Warnemunde put on a great show The race committee did a fantastic job to get as many races in as possible, and made a good call this afternoon to send us in. Yesterday was a huge day of four races. We looked at each and said we don't know how we are going to get through this one, but we had a good day and it was probably the key to the regatta for us, with the boat speed in the heavier air over the light stuff today. We did our best job of trying to lose the regatta today but just scraped in at the end."
Some of the fleet here now head to Sopot in Poland, where the Scandinavian Gold Cup starts on Thursday 5 June, followed by the World Championship from 9-13 June.
Overall Results: (top five, 7 races)
1 Otto (NOR 68, Lasse Berthelsen, Sam Haines, Kyle Gundersen) 10pts
2 New Moon III (BAH 25, Christoph Burger, Kim Chabani, Peter Vlasov) 10pts
3 Ali Baba in blue (GER 125, Andreas Haubold, Martina Klemmt, Daniel Brambeer) 22pts
4 Prettynama (GER 79, Max Müller, Max Steigl, Philipp Müller) 29pts
5 Randale (GER 86, Frank Stein, Bernd Selig, Giacomo Cinti) 34pts