Wolfgang Hunger and Holger Jess (GER) win Leg 3 of the Euro Cup Series in Kiel.

The heat was turned up for the final day of Kiel Week in every sense with temperatures ashore approaching 30 degrees and fierce competition afloat.

After a steady 6th place in the first race today Wolfgang Hunger and Holger Jess (GER) sealed their dominance of the event, winning with a race to spare, demonstrating an impressive display of smart sailing and good boat speed.

With a light but stable 6-9 kt ENE breeze  established on the offshore course, the fleet managed to complete the series with 2 races today.  In the battle for the remaining podium places multiple Olympic medalists Jorgen & Jacob Bojsen-Møller (DEN)  won the first race of the day with Penny and Russ Clark (GBR) second, drawing level on overall points. Close behind we’re Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane (GBR) for a three way scrap for the silver and bronze positions.

In a close final race, Penny and Russ managed to hold off the Bojsen-Møller brothers to take the second spot with British National Champions close behind in 4th overall.

The 2019 Kieler Woche will be remembered for blazing sunshine, tight racing and a vibrant atmosphere ashore with standout winners, Wolfgang and Holger. Of note, there were 5 different nationalities in the top 7 places overall.

Next international 5o5 event is the 2019 European Championships in Denmark before the final Euro Cup event at Hayling Island in the U.K. between 6-8 Sept.

See you there

Today was another tough day at the office; 3 races in 8-14 kts and blazing sunshine. The forecasted 15-20kts never materialised and, with a decreasing breeze throughout the day the fleet stayed compressed and there was much place swapping.

Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane (UK national champions) won the day with a solid 4,2,3 and brought themselves into contention for a podium spot 4pts from 3rd overall. The contest for podium places will be between the current European Champions from Denmark, the U.K. national champions and the new team of Penny and Russ Clark.

2 races are scheduled tomorrow in light winds to conclude an excellent regatta. Can the German pair of Wolfgang Hunger and Holger Jess hold on to the the top spot or will the fickle Baltic breeze turn the tables on them. We’ll let you know tomorrow…

Day 2 in Kiel provided the 30 strong 505 fleet with champagne conditions of 10-14kts and clear skies for another 3 races. Today saw a shake up for the podium places with Penny and Russ Clark scoring a solid 1,2,4 to try and challenge the dominant Wolfgang Hunger and Holger Jess who posted a 4,1,1.  With the series only allowing one discard for the 11 scheduled races (the forecast is good) any mistake or gear failure could be punished hard.

Throughout the fleet there has been some excellent racing. The top 6 (from 4 different nations) finished within 15 boat lengths in the final race today. After a fast reach home the fleet has come ashore to the Kieler Woche social in full swing with hundreds of visitors on the dockside and in the bars on the waterfront.

The amazing weather is set to continue for the next 2 days with 15kts and sunshine forecast. If you decided not to come because of the venue’s weather reputation you are missing a cracker!

DAY 1 RACE REPORT

By Russ Clark

Kiel is the 3rd of this year’s 505 Eurocup series. After strong winds in Cannes and Garda today the fleet was treated to a complex day in Kiel on the outer course with a 6-9kt NE breeze with 30 degree windshifts. 

3 races were held on a windward leeward race track in glorious sunshine with a gate start to set the fleet off. Local legends Wolfgang Hunger and Holger Jess showed the fleet how it could be done with a superb display of consistent speed and smart strategy, posting a 3,1,1. The rest of the fleet had moments of glory but the variations in wind speed and shifts made staying near the front of the fleet a real test. After over 6 1/2 hrs on the water the fleet is now ashore enjoying the Kieler Woche social and the German 505 class association BBQ.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for some more breeze from ENE. 

World’s biggest Sailing Event

In its 138^th year, Kieler Woche is the largest summer festival in Northern Europe.

From 22 to 30 June, more than three million visitors from all over the world will be diving into the colourful and multi-facetted life of Kieler Woche.