European Championships of the skiffs and flying catamarans

by SVG Verlag on 20 Jul 2017 It's all about accuracy, when they are flying around the course: The Nacra17 is presenting itself at the European Championship in Kiel (27. until 4. August) for the first time as a full-foiler in an international competition. And when the hulls are completely out of the water, great sailing skills and a good feeling for the boat are needed to move the boat across the course without any mistakes.

For the combined Europeans of the men in the 49er, the women in the 49erFX and the mixed teams in the Nacra17 taking place from 27 July until 4 August, 37 catamaran teams will start with the modified boats. 17 crews will still be starting with the former C-foil version of the Nacra17.

Jan Hauke Erichsen and Ann-Kristin Wedemeyer are perfectly well-prepared for the final preparations. The sailors from Flensburg, who did finish the Kiel Week on rank two, did in the meantime receive their modified catamaran with the Z-foils from the modification shipyard in England and have already used the last weekend to make the fine-tuning. At the beginning of the week they have done their first test run on the Baltic.

'We are very positive', explained Jan Hauke Erichsen after the sail. They are looking forward to test themselves on their usual two hulls, but on new Z-foils with the best sailors in the world while flying one meter above the water. Who can handle the new boats the best way, will be in the lead - according to the forecast. Erichsen and Wedemeyer do not want to compare it with the Kiel Week, where the crews were still sailing on the well-known C-foils. 'Everyone had the same material then. Everyone will be looking at the others, how they sail at the Europeans to get the best setup for the boat long-term.' So it will be really exciting, who will be at the top of the fleet.

Can Thomas Zajac/Barbara Matz repeat their Kiel Week victory also in the flying mode at the Europeans? Even the third-ranked from the Kiel Week, Maxim Semenov/Alina Shchetinkina From Russia, will be part of the full-foiling regatta. In this category, the official title European Champion will be awarded. The C-foil crews are taking their chance in an open regatta to keep in shape on a high level. Many sailors will get the new catamarans in the next weeks or months.

At the same time, there will also be the European Championships of the 49er and 49erFX, who will be traveling to Kiel with 90 male crews and 68 female crews. Like in the Nacra, the Kiel Yacht Club as the host will be laying the courses for the title races on the outer fjord in Kiel and welcome 440 participants from 39 nations in total at the Olympic marina in Kiel-Schilksee. The anticipation about the next international sailing event after the Kiel Week is great.

'We have been working hard for that to provide the best conditions on the water and ashore for fair regattas and enable the participants to ideally focus on their sport', explained Sven Christensen, Managing Director of the agency Point of Sailing. 'Being the host, the organisational team of the Kiel Yacht Club and from Point of Sailing is welcoming all sailors of the European Championship. We specially thank the 49er and Nacra17 class associations, whose motivation and commitment did help a smooth planning of the regatta, and the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein for their support, which was essential to be able to realise a championship in that form', said Christensen.

Adidas will also hep making it a successful event. The company founded by Adi Dassler is in the meantime also involved in maritime sports clothing and did choose the skiff and catamaran sailing scene as an ideal marketing platform. 'Since the foundation of Adidas, the athletes have always been an integral part of the product development. A credo from Adi Dassler was: If you are producing good equipment and have the right athletes, who help promoting it, people are going to buy it', said Peter Baker, CEO from Adidas Sailing. But Adidas will not just support by providing the right clothes, but also enable the TV-broadcasting in the 'Adidas Sailing Daily Show'.

Numerous international sailors have used the Kiel Week to get familiar with the territory in Kiel-Schilksee and thus be part in the fight for the medals. Just like the Kiel Week gold medal winners in the 49erFX, Charlotte Dobson/Saskia Tidey from Great Britain. In the mens' fleet, the Australian sailors did get used to the conditions in Kiel. There are two teams, who have been on the podium at the Kiel Week, showing up again. The Kiel Week winners, David Gilmour/Joel Turner, and the bronze medal winners, Will and Sam Phillips. Also ?ukasz Przybytek/Pawel Ko?odzi?ski from Poland are looking at the title after their silver medal at the Kiel Week. But the local heros from Kiel, Justus Schmidt/Max Boehme (KYC), who did win the Europeans two years ago, will sure not make it easy for them.

The area in the marina of Kiel-Schilksee will change into a colourful sea of country flags for more than a week. For all three classes, the registration and measurement takes place on Thursday, 27. July, at 9am. On Sunday evening, 29. July, the first training races will be made before the European Championships will be officially opened by KYC Chariman Dr. Carsten Krage and Marcus Spillane, President of the 49er and Nacra17 class associations, and State Secretary Kristina Herbst at 7pm in the evening.

From Sunday, 30. July, until Tuesday, 1. August, the crews will be sailing to gain points for the qualification for the Gold Fleet on the race courses Echo, Juliett, India and Hotel. From Wednesday, 2. August, until Friday, 4. August, the fightig for the titles starts, which then leads to the Medal Races (4. August 1pm), before the the new European Champion is being being selected in the prize giving ceremony.