Kieler Woche 2026 - Day 4: Dixi 5 and Niramo win the IDM-gold medal
by Kieler Woche 23 Jun 12:10 PDT
20-28 June 2026
IDM Inshore & Double handed - Kieler Woche 2026 © Sascha Klahn / Kieler Woche 2026
The new international German inshore champions come from Denmark and Kiel. At Kieler Woche on Tuesday (June 23), the "Dixi 5" skippered by Erik Stannow from Helsingør (ORC A/B) and Sönke Meier Sawatzki's star-studded "Niramo" (ORC C/D) took the top spots.
After nine sailing races over four days in mostly light breezes, starting with the traditional Aalregatta, both crews proofed to be most consistent against strong competitors. The first Kieler Woche winners 2026 in the dinghy classes are from the U.S. Melanie Lahrkamp and Estella Morris finished first in the 420 class.
On board the XR 41 "Dixi 5," the ten-person crew had two reasons to celebrate right after crossing the finish line for the last race: With 18 points, they narrowly edged out their compatriots on the Fast 40+ "Al Capone 2.0" - helmed by Tue Steen Andersen - by 2.9 points to take second place. And their skipper also celebrated his 61st birthday on Tuesday. Stannow, who has professional tactician Jesper Radich from Denmark on board, could hardly have given himself a better gift.
"Getting up early was worth it - we left the harbour just before 7 a.m.," said project manager and mainsail trimmer Gordon Nickel, "The victory in Kiel makes us optimistic for the European Championship in Klaipeda." Race Director Eckart Reinke had already scheduled the first start on the final day for 8:30 hrs., "to take advantage of the best wind." The plan worked out perfectly, with three races and a complete regatta program despite challenging high-pressure weather conditions.
Following the "Dixi 5" victory at the Aalregatta, the IDM remained a constant battle for the podium, which was ultimately also claimed by Lars Hidde's MAT 1220 "Pure" from Hamburg. The "Al Capone 2.0" lost ground by the team's own weight. During a weigh-in, they had exceeded their weight limit and received penalty points. Berlin's Jens Kuphal, last year's runner-up, could only manage fourth place with the "eXiteR."
There were beaming faces as well for Sönke Meier Sawatzki, the owner of the new Cape 31 "Niramo," and his top-notch international crew. "We only bought the racer in November and used Kieler Woche for fine-tuning," said the 59-year-old, "finding speed, improve the handling, and doing so against strong competition at a first-class organized event - by winning the title, we more than achieved all our goals." He's the only German on board and has assembled a team of top sailors - including offshore sailing legend Bouwe Bekking, match racing ace Torvar Mirsky, and others - with whom he plans to compete at next year's ORC World Championship in Copenhagen. Sawatzki: "But our future lies in the Cape 31 one-design class, which is the ultimate in international yachting."
The Kieler Woche victory was clear proof for the "Niramo" crew that they can hold their own both under the ORC handicap system and against identical boats such as Johannes Wackerhagen's "Lil'Desna" from Kiel, which finished third. Second place at the IDM Inshore went to the Swedish crew led by Patrick Forsgren on the One-Off "Garmin Team Pro4u." Offshore racing at Kieler Woche continues on Wednesday (June 24) with the International German Championship for double-handed crews.
The phalanx of U.S. teams on the 420 winners' list demonstrates just how successfully youth development in sailing is bearing fruit in the United States. Behind Lahrkamp/Morris, who snatched "gold" on the final day, the other medals went to Anna Ulmer and Marin Redmond, as well as Finnegan Grainger and Charlotte Crowley. Four other U.S. duos finished in the top nine. Brits Neil Marsden and Merle Nieuwland end up fourth.