Day three of the Olympic classes at Kieler Woche offered sailors and spectators a thrilling spectacle. While traditional sailors and recreational skippers cruised out of the inner fjord for the windjammer parade, the catamaran, skiff, and dinghy sailors fought for victory on the windward-leeward courses of the outer fjord in shifting winds, strong gusts, and rough waves. “It started moderately, then became very challenging with gusts of over 30 knots. But we managed to complete almost all the races according to plan,” reported regatta organizer Dirk Ramhorst.
In the Radial fleet, the young Hungarian Maria Erdi found herself struggling in the difficult conditions of Saturday, but held onto her podium place going into the final day. Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands seems to be unchallenged in the top position because the second-placed Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark is already 12 points behind. Further back in the Radial fleet, the best Germans will be competing for important points in the Olympic qualification process. Tomorrow’s racing will be critical before they go to the European Championship in Poland in October, which will finally decide on the German nomination for Tokyo. Now in 7th place, Hannah Anderssohn (Warnemünde) has almost caught up in the qualification battle with Svenja Weger (Kiel) in 13th place.
In the strong wind and choppy waves of Melbourne, Philipp Buhl crowned his career in February by winning the World Championship title. During Kieler Woche he showed that he is still able to handle strong gusts, even if he does not feel in world championship shape at the moment, according to his own assessment. Scores of 3, 5, 1 lift the German to second place, sandwiched between the British sailors Michael Beckett and Elliot Hanson in first and third place, respectively.