Brockerhoff crowned J/22 EuroCup Champion

Brockerhoff crowned J/22 EuroCup Champion © Union Yacht Club Wolfagngsee

The J/22 EuroCup at Lake Wolfgangsee was sailed from October 3rd to 6th, hosted by the Union Yacht Club Wolfagngsee. Fifteen teams from Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands fought for the coveted title of J/22 European Champion 2024.

After six races, it was the German team that garnered victory, led by former J/22 Vice World Champion Reiner Brockerhoff and his French crew of Christophe Declerque and Charles Michaux.

The experienced crew won after 6 hard-fought races, in sometimes challenging conditions. Despite the extremely bad weather forecast: 5 to max. 10 C. degrees, snow up to 1200 m above sea level, rain, and hardly any wind, the winner prevailed. Brockerhoff's team posted a 6-1-4-1-2-8 for 14 pts net. They ended up winning on a tiebreaker of 14 pts each over the Dutch team led by helmsman Jesper Overbeeke and crew of Merle Meinhardt, Sijmen van de Velden, and Lucas Leerdam. On the countback, the Dutch record of 1-5-2-5-3-3 lost to the German winners by number of 1sts!

Rounding out the podium taking the bronze medal was the Austrian team led by skipper Karl Holzner and his crew of Rudi Höller and Jörg Moser. This team from Salzburg, Austria also sailed a solid regatta posting a 2-2-9-3-5-9 tally for 21 pts.

The balance of the top five included the Dutch team led by Sanne van Rijn in fourth with 22 pts and the German team with skipper Lasse Paland in fifth place with 27 pts. Here is the race report for all 3 days from one of the skippers on AUT 1127- Karl Holzner.

October 4th Friday It's finally starting! But, we started with a "harbor postponement"!

The clouds were hanging low, the surrounding mountains had disappeared in the mist, and the lake was in leaden silence. It is raining now and then. The wind forecast is 1 to 2 km from the west.

After a long wait, a breeze picked up and the very committed and prudent race director chased us out onto the water. It was enough to sail! That was hard to believe! We had just one race in a light, quite brisk wind. The winner was NED 1455 skippered by Jesper Overbeeke.

October 5th Saturday At the skipper's meeting, we were greeted by yet another "harbor postponement"! It was a prudent thing to do, so we had more coffee and more pastries!

We had more clouds, more rain, and no wind. Is that why we all drive so far? LOL! It's the nature of sailing... we understand!

A small gap opens up in the clouds and there is what no one dared to hope for: wind!

Thanks to the good race management and the exceptional starting discipline (not a single false start, only various individual recalls), we had four really exciting, difficult but fair races!

The UYCW used every trick in the book to keep us sailing, using all means possible such as moving course marks, shortening course legs, etc.

Reiner Brockerhoff GER 1368 won 2 races, Felix Rittinger's AUT 1442 one win, and Rudi Mayer's AUT 1680 one win.

Tired, but mostly satisfied with four races completed, we returned to the harbor.

In the evening, there was the UYC Wolfgangsee sailors' dinner with a 3-course menu and traditional live music!!

October 6th Sunday: Wash, rinse, repeat!

At the skipper's meeting, we were greeted by yet another "harbor postponement"! Again, it was a prudent thing to do, so we had more coffee and more pastries!

The sun was shining, we could see the mountains, winds were blowing from the southeast over the lake, but the wind just wouldn't get through.

The starting line goes to the right, against all the rules, much to the dismay of the local Wolfgangsee residents. There's another way to have a home advantage!

It was enough wind for a laborious final windward-leeward race, completed in a dying wind. That sole race winner was Sanne van Rijn's NED 1500.

The hoped-for spring wind never came!

A few final words as a member of the UYCW:

"Thanks to Rudi Mayr, who together with the German J/22 Class Association brought this J/22 EuroCup to Lake Wolfgangsee. He was the main organizer before and during the regatta, which didn't make it easy for him to concentrate on sailing himself!

Thanks to Manfred Magnus, who was the race director and did a perfect job with his entire team in the most adverse conditions!

Thanks to our neighbors from Wallersee and thanks to all the participants who traveled far and for the wonderful days together at Wolfgangsee! We enjoyed hoisting a few beers with our comrades in arms and colleagues from around Europe!

Thanks to the UYCW for the usual good execution on the water and on land and for allowing the J/22s to be their passionate, enthusiastic guests!"

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