Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Kieler Woche 2020: Back to its roots

by Kiel Week 24 Apr 2020 02:19 AEST 5-13 September 2020
Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn won the Kiel Week in the 49er © Christian Beeck / www.segel-bilder.de

"Back to the roots" is the motto for this year's Kieler Woche. Kiel's longest week of the year is this time dedicated to sailing only.

From September 5th to 13th, national and international sailors will prove their skills on the regatta courses. The "KiWo" program on land will look significantly different than usual - there will be no event areas and large stages that attract many thousands of people.

With the postponement of Kieler Woche from the end of June to September, the organizers of the state capital Kiel and the Kieler Yacht-Club sent a signal in mid-March. Already at the time of this decision, all parties involved agreed that the sailing and summer festival could not take place in the proven form in times of the Corona pandemic. Which cultural offers and smaller events will be possible will be planned in the course of the coming months and adapted according to the current situation.

"The Corona pandemic will keep us all busy for many months to come. We are convinced that, unfortunately, it will not yet be possible at the beginning of September to celebrate exuberantly with many people," emphasizes Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer. However, there are no plans to cancel Kieler Woche at the moment: "This year it's 'back to the basics' and 'sailing plus X'. We want to put the sport of sailing - and with it the historical foundation of Kieler Woche - into the centre of attention as a signal. And we want to see what we can offer the people of Kiel beyond that."

With regard to the sailing program, the Kieler Yacht-Club and the co-organizing clubs have agreed to offer a platform especially for the boat classes that have contributed to the success of Kieler Woche in the past years.

"We will give an appropriate number of sailors the opportunity to sail the Kieler Woche in the usual scope. The observance of regulations and measures concerning handling and hygiene is a matter of course", explains Dirk Ramhorst, Head of Organization of the Kieler Woche regattas.

Ramhorst emphasizes: "The regatta cannot be held one to one as in June. Flexibility and new ideas are needed now". All planning - for example, with regard to the number of participants - is coordinated with the corona restrictions currently in force until August. "This will probably also lead to maximum registration numbers in various classes," says Ramhorst. In addition, the event area in Schilksee will be geared purely to sailing and not to visitors.

Related Articles

Kieler Woche Day 10
Seven nations celebrate victories at the finale On the final sailing day of Kieler Woche 2025, there were beaming faces all around the Olympic Centre in Schilksee. Eleven decisions were made on Sunday and alongside Germany, Denmark, France, GB, Malta, Sweden, & Hungary were able to celebrate victories. Posted on 29 Jun
SGS Gold at Kieler Woche goes to France and GB
The best German team, Theresa Löffler and Christopher Hoerr, finished fifth With a victory in the final medal race of the Kieler Woche, the British team of Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris secured gold in the 470 class on Sunday (June 29). Posted on 29 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 9
Hosts without Sailing Grand Slam medals, but leading in five classes The final six medals in the mixed classes of the Olympic Sailing Grand Slam (SGS) at Kieler Woche will be awarded on Sunday (June 29) without any German contenders. Posted on 29 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 8
Mourniac & Retornaz take the lead in the Nacra 17 class A dream day ahead of the second weekend at the Kieler Woche regatta off Schilksee: Moderate to fresh westerly winds with strong gusts, alternating sun and clouds, provided ideal sailing conditions for all participants on Friday. Posted on 27 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 7
British mixed dominance in dinghy and catamaran After the second day of the Sailing Grand Slam in the Olympic mixed classes, Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris are leading the 470 class even more dominantly than John Gimson and Anna Burnet in the Nacra 17 on Thursday (June 26). Posted on 26 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 6
Double gold for France in Olympic classes Perfect sailing conditions marked the final of Kieler Woche in the Olympic skiff, dinghy, and surf classes: On Wednesday, June 25, the waters off Schilksee offered fresh to strong, challenging winds with flat waves. Posted on 25 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 5
Tuesday served as a warm-up for the hot finale of Kieler Woche Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer from Bavaria in the skiff, as well as Kiel native Fabian Wolf on the foiling windsurf board, will enter Wednesday's (June 25) medal races as leaders. Posted on 24 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 4
IDM Inshore Gold to Flensburg and Denmark The weather conditions during Kieler Woche on Tuesday continued just as they had on Monday: sustained winds well over 20 knots and gusts exceeding 30. Posted on 24 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 3
A Tough Test for Athletes and Equipment Fresh to strong south-westerly winds with stormy squalls pushed participants to their limits on Monday at Kieler Woche. Posted on 23 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 2
The Olympic skiffs sorted themselves into gold and silver fleets after four daily races Subtropical sailing conditions with a light but sufficient breeze delighted the athletes on Sunday (June 22) on the second regatta day of Kieler Woche. Posted on 22 Jun
sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZExcess CatamaransVetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTER