Sailing at Olympic level

Together with DSV team director Nadine Stegenwalner, the German 49er crew Justus Schmidt/ Max Boehme, ORC skipper Kai Mares and the chairman of the Kiel Yacht Club, Carsten Krage, Ramhorst presented the event programme in the historic Kaisersaal of Kiel Yacht Club. "Our strategic international orientation is based on three pillars and close cooperation with the World Sailing Federation," explains Ramhorst. The Marselisborg Yacht-Club/Sailing Århus is the first Danish club to join the Kieler Woche organisation team.

Active participants from so-called "emerging nations" are especially invited to Kieler Woche. Costs for flights are covered by World Shilling, Kiel provides charter boats, registration fees and accommodation. With Mariel Nikolova from Bulgaria and Deisy Nhaquile (Mozambique) two female sailors were invited this year. The two Laser Radial sailors will compete for the entire nine days of the competition. In the first part until Tuesday Nicolova and Nhaquile will start in the open series, afterwards, from Wednesday to Sunday, in the Olympic part in the Laser Radial class. "The goal is to support the athletes of the emerging nations. It's about helping, not about complete financing", says Nadine Stegenwalner, who as Vice President of World Sailing is responsible for strengthening sailing worldwide. The aim is to promote talents and to intensify the cooperation with the European association EUROSAF in the field of jury and race management.

In the 49er class, the 2016 duel has long since turned into a triclash for the German Olympic ticket. Tim Fischer/Fabian Graf (NRV) will join the bronze medallists of 2016 and current World Cup winners in Miami, Erik Heil/Thomas Plößel, and Justus Schmidt/Max Boehme (Kiel/European Champion 2015). The Hamburg team won bronze at the World Championships at Århus (Denmark) in the German Nations' Cup, one place ahead of Heil/Plößel. The other two crews, who just finished fifth and 10th at the European Championships, will meet last year's winners Jonas Warrer/Jacob Jensen. The Danes only sailed their third regatta together in Kiel in 2018. Meanwhile, Warrer, the 2008 Olympic champion, and his 20-year-old crew at the jib sheets harmonize well. The previous year's third in Kiel and the current sixth in the European Championship, Lukasz Przybytek/Pawel Kolodzinski (Poland), have also entered for the races. Hot podium candidates in Kiel are the current World Champions Sime and Mihovil Fantela (Croatia), who won the World Championship title at the Worlds off Århus.

The strong signal from Kiel towards the IPC could not have been overheard, said the highest representative of sailing: "Many thanks to Germany, many thanks to Kiel. We need an inclusive society with completely barrier-free environments that enable people with disabilities to engage in sporting activities and to experience safe and fair participation". Kiel can offer all this in the barrier-free Schilksee marina, Andersen explained.