Breeze arrives at last to Kiel Week

by Hermann Hell (As Amended By ISAF) on 22 Jun 2006 At last Kiel Week offered a good south westerly breeze just in time for the end of the International Classes regatta and in perfect anticipation of the ISAF Grade 1 Olympic Classes regatta set to start today.

Winds of seven to 15 knots finally arrived to the relief of all the competitors of the 16 International Classes. The Race Committee on the eight courses tried hard to start as many races as possible per course, thus catching up on the rather slow days out on the Baltic over the last weekend. However the Race Committee decided not to sail any Medal Races as no International Class sailed more than six races during the last three days.

The 29er fleet enjoyed the fresh breeze and sailed four more races in Schilksee Bay, Benjamin FRIEDHOFF and Johanna MUNDING (GER) successfully defended their lead to their first Kiel Week trophy ahead of Nathalie KELLER and Moritz VON WERDT (SUI) and Nils HOLLENBECK and Michael KREUTZMANN (GER).

The 420s sailed in three groups and really needed yesterday’s better wind conditions to determine the three best scoring crews: Susanne BAUR and Katharina BERGGREN (GER) took the honours ahead of 2005 ISAF Youth Worlds Champions Marie LUMEAU and Claire BOSSARD (FRA). The Race Committee withdrew its decision from Monday and decided that the Kiel Week overall results will count as qualification for the 420 World Championship.

In the men’s Laser Radial fleet on the Golf course Dustin BALDEWEIN (GER) triumphed whilst top honours in the Pirat went to Thomas HELDT and Ludger WETZKE (GER). Meanwhile the Folkeboats and J/24s sailed on the Southern coast of the Kiel Fjord and enjoyed two fair and windy races: Germans Christoph NIELSEN and Torben and Bjorge DEHN won the Kiel Week title for the first time against the dominant Danish teams of Hans HENRIKSEN and Michael MOLLER who they relegated to second and third place respectively.

Formula 18 and Hobie 16 enjoyed speed and fun on the outer race course area, finally having their adequate wind speed. In the Hobie 16, Singapore’s Melcolm HUANG and Pei Quan CHUNG took first ahead of Delef MOHR and Joachim WEGENER (GER), but the Germans were back on top in the Formula 18 thanks to brothers Helge and Christian SACH (GER). The home success continued in the Beneteau 25 where the German team of Kai MARES (GER) took the honours.

The Flying Dutchman and 505 competitors also liked the fresh breeze and sailed two more races. In the Flying Dutchman fleet Jörgen and Jacob BOYSEN-MOELLER (DEN) won their twelfth Kiel Week title, whilst fellow Danes Jan SAUGMANN and Morten RAMSBAEK lifted the title in the 505.

The Dragons and H-Boats even had a rough ride with some strong current on course Delta, when rounding a mark several Dragons caused heavy damages to their hulls, but two races were still completed. Many Dragon crews dream of winning the traditional Felka-Trophy once in their life! At Kiel Week 2006 the German team Ulli LIBOR, Thomas FLACH and Stefan HELLRIEGEL achieved this goal by winning the final match race between the first placed crews within the first three races. In the H-Boat fleet the Dutch team of Hans PEULEN took the title.

In the OK Dinghies Gunter ARNDT (GER) was looking strong, whilst Teemu RANTANEN (FIN) was in pole position in the Europe fleet and Andrea BONEZZ (ITA) had things wrapped up in the Contender.

Kiel Week began on 17 June, with the 16 International Classes racing to 20 June. Meanwhile the Olympic Classes line up from 21-25 June, with the offshore racing taking place from 17-24 June.

Wednesday 21st June

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