Kiel Week - Stormy day 3 action

by Kieler Woche on 19 Jun 2012 Kiel Week - On day three of Kieler Woche, weather conditions on the race courses of the Olympic classes and the One Designs were hard to predict. After just one race, head of the organizing committee, Jobst Richter (Kiel Yacht Club), had to stop the races at noon because of a small thunder cell with strong winds that was approaching the Kiel Fjord faster than predicted. After a break of four hours, the races continued amid stormy gusts.

'To interrupt the racing day was the right decision. We were not hit that much by the thunderstorm, but it hit Eckernfoerde and Damp quite badly. That would have been irresponsible', concluded Richter in the evening.

After a late race program, the German sailors in the Olympic classes could be satisfied looking at the results. There are still two German teams leading in the Laser. With the same amount of points than his sparring partner Philipp Buhl (Sonthofen), Simon Grotelueschen (Kiel) is currently just leading, followed by Andrew Maloney from New Zealand, who became third at the Worlds. In the Women’s Laser, Franziska Goltz (Kiel) is continuing her way up the ranking and is fighting a duel with the former World Champion Tatiana Drozdovskaya from Belarus.

'This is a great training for the Olympics', said Goltz, who will meet Drozdovskaya again at the Olympics. After seven races, Goltz is leading with 13 points, same point score than Drozdovskaya.

Tobias Schadewaldt/Hannes Baumann (Kiel) are taking up speed in the 49er. After a restrained start at the first racing day, the titleholders finally got into the game of the Kiel Week as they said and are now leading after nine races. 'Even if our focus is on the Olympics, Kiel Week is still important for us as the titleholders', said Hannes Baumann. His helmsman cannot even get enough from the Kiel Week and wants to start in an international class for the second part of the race week.

In the 470, the contests are turning out to be a real German festival. While Ferdinand Gerz/Patrick Follmann (Munich) had to give up the pole position, Magnus Masilge/Moritz Klingenberg (Potsdam) took the lead in the fleet, followed by Gerz/Follmann. In the Women’s 470, the Junior Vice World Champions Annika Bochmann/Elisabeth Panuschka (Berlin/Uerdingen) showed impressive results. With four victories in six races, they are now leading with one point in front of Tina Lutz/Susann Beucke (Chiemsee/Strande).

In the paralympic 2.4mR, Heiko Kröger (Hamburg), who was third in the interim standings, is now dominating the fleet, followed by Damien Seguin (France) and Thierry Schmitter Kieler Woche website