Kiel Week reaches the traditional transition phase

by Andi Robertson on 21 Jun 2016 The Olympic fleets have several top international sailors or crews seeking a final competition at this last major all classes event before Rio 2016.

In the 49er Class New Zealand’s Olympic silver medallists and current world champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke line up as favourites in a 45 boat fleet which includes Ireland’s Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern who won the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in April and Germany’s Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel who will represent their nation and were European Championship runners up in 2013. In the Laser fleet Australia’s medal hope Tom Burton, World Championship runner up in 2014 who finished third in Weymouth a week ago lines up against Germany’s world ranked one Philip Buhl.

The 470 Junior World Championships start Wednesday and have attracted 85 crews racing in Men’s and Women’s fleets. The Men’s field sees France’s Guillaume Pirouelle and Valentin Sipan out to defend their title as Italy’s Benedetta di Salle and Alessandra Dubini seek to do also in the Women’s championship.

The local heroes Gwendal Lamay and Luke Willim who sail for the Kiel Yacht Club endured a nail biting finale to the 29er class regatta. Starting the day with a slender lead they had to pull out of race seven of their Finals series when their halyard broke. But their nerves were shredded when they were DSQ’d under a black flag on the last start. They headed for the sanctuary of their home club waiting to hear of their fate. But, remarkably, their Dutch and Danish title rivals both finished weakly and the German duo win, setting their hopes high for the 29er World Championships in Medemblik next month.

Britain’s Andy Smith and Tim Needham might also start to think about their 505 World Championships prospects in a slightly different light after clinching the high calibre 505 Class for the first time. Smith cites their victory as their biggest triumph yet, winning with a race to spare. Three British boats finish in the top five, with Ian Pinnell and Alex Davies taking third in the 50 boat fleet.

“This is huge for us. We thought if we sailed well then a podium would be great for us but to actually pull it off is just great. We could not quite beat Wolfgang Hunger in the first race but third place was enough. We have real attention to detail in making the boat sail fast in all conditions. We have worked hard with the rig and are going fast.” Said a delighted Smith.

A UFD for starting early robbed Jim Hunt of his chance at the title in the OK Class. His DSQ dropped him two points behind Sweden’s 2009 world champion Thomas Hansson-Mild in the final standings. Germany’s double world champion André Budzien had to miss the last two races because of a work commitment but still finished third, six points off the lead.

Hansson-Mild said: “The class is great here with such wonderful camaraderie. I have won here twice in 2008 and 2012 but have been sailing the Melges and some other classes but I am back in the OK. It is such good racing. “

One Class winner will seek a slightly unlikely double. Norway’s Europe class World champ Lars Johan Brodtkorb secured the Kiel title by four points ahead of France’s Valerian Lebrun who could not match the Norwegian’s 1,1,1,3 finish which meant he won with a race to spare. But Brodtkorb now steps up a weight division and will race his Finn in the Olympic classes fleet.

“Kiel is such a nice regatta and it is nice to win. I was close to winning the Finn class last year so now I will see how I do.” Said Brodtkorb who will seek to win the world title for a third time straight on Lake Garda in a few weeks time.

Soren Dulong Andreasen won the Contender class also without need to compete in the last race. But after conferring with his nearest rival Jesper Nielsen they decided to go anyway.

“We decided we could use the practice.” Nielsen smiled, “It is great time to win again, I seem to win every second year. Last year I was leading in the middle of the regatta and then Jesper had three firsts and I did that this year. Sometimes it is just about the mood!”

In the Laser 4.7 Class Switzerland’s Gauthier Verhulst won by two points. But she serves notice that she will be one of the favourites for the world title when it is contested on these waters in two weeks time when she won three of the five Finals races. In the Radial open class Finland’s Aleksi Tapper won ahead of Scotland’s Jamie Calder who had a BFD disqualification on the last race. The biggest margin of all was in the Musto Performance Skiff where Germany’s Fritjhof Schwerdt won by 19 points, world champion Andi Lachenschmid finished third.