Youth Sailing Champions League at Kiel Week 2019 - Day 1
by Kiel Week 23 Jun 02:30 PDT
22-30 June 2019
The Italian SVBG-team is placed on position no. 9 after five races - Kiel Week 2019 © Kiel Week / Sascha Klahn
"Not too much, not to little wind and some little waves, we know and that have helped us", Thore Kiesbye, Nils Drewniok, Christopher Schwab and Finian Erik Bohnhardt from the Flensburg Sailing Club are happy about their five victories in the Youth Sailing Champions League on the first day of the Kiel Week. They have more experience in the waves than for example teams from the lake territories.
"The sailors from Flensburg demonstrated a lot of power", Oliver Schwall pays tribute to the series of victories of the young sailors. A successful sailing day with exciting races and a German team in the lead, the initiator of the Sailing Champions League sums up the day.
The sun has been tiring, but the wind did not make it very difficult. The sailors from Flensburg did quickly find their rhythm. "We also had a bit of luck, when the others had a go at each other", explain the four sailors. "Tomorrow it can be completely different." They describe the fleet from 21 teams from nine countries as a "good fleet". The level is good. They have been sailing together since two years. "We always have a lot of fun", they explain their winning formula. They would also be disappointed, if it would not have went that well, but they do not set themselves under pressure. "Even if it is more fun sailing in the front." Tomorrow is a new day - also for the others.
"Those conditions are ideal for the kids", says Oliver Schwall about the successful start of the Youth Sailing Champions League at the Kiel Week right in front of the harbor in Kiel-Schilksee. Most of the young sailors are not coming from the J70 and to get used to it, the nice sea breeze was just perfect. "There are even Opti sailors in the keel boat. Now they are suddenly four and have to handle the boat together."
As can be seen with the league club Tønsberg Seilforening from Norway, they take the league sailing serious and the young sailors are now also at the start line, explained Schwall. "Big boat sailing is very naturally integrated in other nations. Multi class sailing makes sense for the young sailors."
Already in the previous year, the Youth Sailing Champions League had its premiere at the Travemuende Week. This year, the final races will also take place on Monday in the new final system. To enable the spectators to recognize the winner not having to count the points, the finals will only be sailed by those teams, who are then on rank one to four.
Whoever first sails two victories in the finals, is the winner. The crew, that has already finished the preliminary round on place one, brings one victory to the finals and needs one more in the finals to have the two victories. So it can be one our four final races and the winner of the last final race is in any case the overall winner.
"The sailors already freak out on board", Oliver Schwall is happy about the reaction of the sailors about the new format. "It is a good format for the media staging and better for the spectators."
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