NRV Champions Week underway

by Deike Maria Flemming on 7 Sep 2012 NRV Champions Week 2012 - On Thursday, 6th September 2012, Arne Hirsch from the hosting club Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) together with Kaspar Stubenrauch from the International 5.5 Metre Class Association and Jan-Marc Ullrich from the German J/24 Class Association, welcomed the participants of the NRV Champions Week 2012 at the Weiße Wiek in Boltenhagen, Germany.

The 5.5 metre class will be competing in the Scandinavian Gold Cup, the Royal Kaag Classic Cup and the Hankø Evolution Cup, while the J/24 class is holding this year’s German Open with 29 participants at the Baltic Sea resort until September 9th.
 
The 5.5’s managed to get some racing in before the opening ceremony in the evening. Kristian Nergaard, who has already won the Scandinavian Gold Cup eight times, took the lead during the very first of the races for the golden trophy. 'When you let others rule where you go in these shifty conditions you lose. I don’t look at anyone else, I just look at the compass and focus on my own boat during the regatta', shares the Norwegian skipper whose boat Artemis XIV (NOR 57) dominated the race early on. The only helmswoman Vicotrine Bredero in the competition scored a confident second place with the Duchess of B (NED 31).
 
Knockout (GER 25) had a similarly good run during the first race of the Hankø Evolution Cup. Skipper Ger Schmitz took the lead right from the start and maintained his position ahead of the fleet until the finish line which he crossed 150 meters ahead of My Shout under skipper Matti Muoniovaara, the president of the Finnish 5.5 Class Association.
 
The first race of the Royal Kaag Classic Cup had a much tougher start in store for Lutz von Meyerinck. Apriori (SWE 50) under skipper Håkan Kellner pushed ahead of the other boats at the starting line and lead the fleet up until the second gate with von Meyerinck’s Blueprint (GER 33) following behind. But the Swedish crew chose the left side of the course whereas the Germans stuck to the right where the breeze favoured them. They overtook Apriori and took home the first win.
 
In the evening the sailors of both classes came together for the opening ceremony. Arne Hirsch from the NRV welcomed them to the Weiße Wiek and thanked the countless volunteers who helped make the event possible. Partners Marinepool, who are supplying the crew shirts for the participants and race committee, the brewery Lübzer, who are keeping everyone happy with their refreshing variety of beers, and hotel director Anne Hecking, representing the resort Weiße Wiek, all received a big applause for their support.
 
President of the International 5.5 Metre Class Association Kaspar Stubenrauch also welcomed the sailors from all over the world. Together with Matti Muoniovaara he presented the Scandinavian Gold Cup, which only one crew from each nation can compete for. According to Stubenrauch 'This prize is almost more valuable than the World Championship, it’s the best sailors in the world competing.'
 
He handed over to Jan-Marc Ullrich from the German J/24 Class Association, who expressed his joy at the choice of venue which will also host the 2015 World Championship of his class. The evening ended with a scrumptious buffet and plenty of Norddeutscher Regatta Verein website