Kieler Woche 2026 - Day 5: “We really love the Kieler Woche”
by Kieler Woche 24 Jun 17:15 UTC
20-28 June 2026
49er FX fleet at Kieler Woche 2026 © Felix Diemer / Kieler Woche
The dominant Canadian sisters in the 49erFX and the nerves-of-steel Swiss team in the 49er stood out on the final day of the Olympic Kieler Woche part. Georgia and Antonia Lewin-Lafrance, along with Joshua Richner and Nilo Schärer, won the Sailing Grand Slam regatta.
Due to lack of wind on Wednesday (June 24), medal races were held only in the two skiff disciplines. The previous day's leaders from Germany (470), Italy (ILCA 7), Denmark (ILCA 6), and Great Britain in the Nacra 17 also emerged as overall winners.
A nerve-wracking test of patience came to an end on the final day, starting with the women's 49erFX class. In the two highly suspenseful medal races, the positions changed by the second. In the end, there was champagne drunk from a neoprene sock for the dominant overall winners, Georgia and Antonia Lewin-Lafrance of Canada. "We love Kieler Woche and the excellent German organization," the crew said immediately after crossing the finish line.
Once Helen Pais and Helen Ausman from Estonia had secured the silver, things got dramatic. Behind the day's winners, Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer, Johanne and Andrea Schmidt from Denmark fought their way to fourth place at the finish. A tie! But what breaks the tie? According to Appendix A 8.1 (RRS), it's first place versus fourth. Steinlein, who calls Lake Garda home, celebrated with her crew from Kiel.
In the men's skiff, the race for gold was closer. The Swiss crew of Joshua Richner and Nilo Schärer took over the Israelis Illy Wureit and Yuval Barnoon. "It was mentally super intense in the final, but we stayed focused and concentrated on ourselves," said Nilo Schärer. "We're naturally very happy that it was even enough to win gold." The Swiss are less enthusiastic about the new Olympic format, even though it worked out in their favor. Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid from the U.S. won bronze.
Despite the summer heat - which has now reached northern Germany as well - the thermal sea breeze did not play in the sailing community's favor on Wednesday. "The weak gradient wind worked against us for a long time," explained meteorologist Sebastian Wache of Kieler Wetterwelt, "there were repeated lulls and sharp shifts." Even close to shore, off the entrance to Kiel's inner fjord, no steady breeze developed.
The ILCA 6 and 7 classes were the ones that suffered, as they did not sail any more races. The Kieler Woche champion in the ILCA 7 class is Attilio Borio of Italy, ahead of Lorenzo Mayer of France and John Frederik Wolff, Denmark. The two German medal contenders, Schweckendiek and Buhl, could only shrug their shoulders. In the ILCA 6 class, there was a one-two finish for Danish dynamite: Helena Wolff won ahead of Anna Munch. Bronze went to the Italian Chiara Benini Floriani.
"We would have preferred to show once again that we belong at the top," said Anna Markfort with mixed feelings. The vice world champions are happy to take the Kieler Woche victory in the 470-class even without a final, "but we were here to sail, after all", said Simon Diesch's crew. The cancellation also abruptly halted the strong comeback by their German contenders. For Malte Winkel and Bente Batzing it remained "silver" ahead of Theresa Löffler and Christopher Hoerr.
The Nacra 17s also remained in the harbour due to a lack of wind and missed out on final races. John Gimson and Anna Burnet of Great Britain are thus the Sailing Grand Slam Champions. They won by a wide margin ahead of Emil Jarüdd and Hanna Jonsson (Sweden). Tied on points, the Australians Ruben and Rita Booth had to settle for bronze.
The Flying Dutchman World Championship also began - at least on land - following a colorful opening ceremony the night before. Race Director Stephan Giesen postponed the start first by two hours, then by three, before the World Championship opener was canceled entirely. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 hrs. on Thursday, while the other international classes, starting with the 29er Eurocup, are set to begin at 1 p.m.
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