Kieler Woche - Day 4

A convincing performance in the 505 for Joergen and Jacob Bojsen-Moeller at Kieler Woche © Kieler Woche / www.segel-bilder.de

Seven nations celebrating victories

The first 14 Kiel Week titles on the triangular courses in Kiel-Schilksee have been decided. After the decisions in the international classes, the Germans can celebrate four victories in their home country. But this did also demonstrate the international quality which was already present before the start of the Olympic disciplines in Kiel. Seven nations are on the winners' list. The Danish team finished with four victories, just like the Germans.

2.4mR

Heiko Kroeger from the NRV Hamburg has laid the foundation to be able to enjoy a rare double-victory at Kiel Week. The 2.4mR has been sailed as an open class in the first part of the world's biggest sailing event, in the second part, only the Paralympic sailors will be on the start line. Kroeger, already World Champion in the open class in 2001, demonstrated that he is capable to dominating the fleet of disabled and non-disabled sailors. He took over the lead on the third day and defended it to win overall. It is his tenth win at Kiel Week, an eleventh victory could be possible on Sunday. "We used the first part as a trial run for the Para Worlds, so there were strong sailors in the fleet. But the Australian Matthew Bugg took a break on the last day to be fit for the Worlds. It will be even closer in the next days, because there will be some more top sailors joining", said Kroeger.

Flying Dutchman

In the former Olympic class of the Flying Dutchman, the Vice World Champions Kay-Uwe Luedtke/Kai Schaefers from the YC Berlin-Gruenau had two strong first days with five victories. After that they still had to fight to defend their position, when the Hungarian Szabolcs Majthenyi/Andras Domokos caught up. In the end the Germans brought home their victory.

505

Among the Danish winners, the brothers Joergen and Jacob Bojsen-Moeller showed a convincing performance in the 505. The sailmakers from Denmark are permanently changing between the Flying Dutchman, where they are the current World Champions, and the 505. Now they were again in the way of Wolfgang Hunger for his 22nd Kiel Week victory in the 505. The five-time 505 World Champion from Strande with his crew Julien Kleiner had to make do with third overall. The French team of Philippe Boite/Fountaine Mathieu squeezed in-between Hunger and the Bojsen-Moeller brothers, who had been in the lead from the first of the eleven races.

Contender

Jesper Nielsen's victory in the Contender was of the same quality. The Danish sailor demonstrated his power on the first day by winning two races and was not put off by a disqualification due to an early start and could build up his lead in the end and win clearly in front of the German pursuers, Markus Maisenbacher (Verden) and Christoph Homeier (Bremen).

Europe

It was surprising how confidently Anna Livbjerg from Denmark put her mainly male competitors in their place. She used the light winds as an advantage to move up to first overall on day two and defended the leading position. Fabian Kirchhoff (Huede/Germany) just kept Johan Brodtkorb from Norway at bay. Brodtkorb, two-time winner in the Europe in Kiel in the previous years, will be starting another run on the podium places in the second part of the Kiel Week. He will then start in the Finn.

Folkboat

The racing in the Folkboat is traditionally a match of two nations - Denmark and Germany - this time in favour of the Northern neighbours. The two-time Gold Cup winner Per Joergensen from Kolding pushed Ulf Kipcke (Kiel) to second overall, who also has already won the Gold Cup twice, the non-official Worlds of the Folkboat, The crew from Laboe (Kiel/Germany) of Soenke Durst finished third overall after a strong last race day.

29er

In the Junior skiffs, there was a shift in the leading position on the final race day, but the nation at the top of the fleet did not change. On the contrary, the French fleet completed the whole podium with their strong performance in the end. Benjamin Jaffrezic/Leo Chauvel jumped to first overall in the regatta, which is part of the EuroCup circuit. Theo Revil/Gautier Guevel and Aristide Girou/Noah Chauvin followed.

Laser 4.7/Laser Radial

The two Junior Laser classes were dominated by the Norwegians. Among the very young athletes in the 4.7, Tobias Sandmo Birkeland defended his lead, followed by Johan Schubert (Denmark) and Julia Rogalska (Poland). In the Radial, Caroline Sofia Rosmo (Norway) won followed by Maor Ben Harosh (Israel) and Uffe Tomasgaard (Norway).

OK Dinghy

The British sailor Jim Hunt brough home the victory in the OK Dinghy in a superior way. In eleven races, he crossed the finish line as winner nine times. Even ex-World Champion Greg Wilcox (New Zealand) had no chance. Wilcox, who is living in Potsdam, finished second, followed by Soenke Behrens from Hamburg.

More information and full results at Kiel Week 2017 can be found at www.Kieler-Woche.de