Kiel Week

Kieler Woche is promoted as the greatest sailing event in the world and the largest summer waterfront festival in northern Europe. With a nine-day program packed with over 2,000 events to entertain three million guests from all over the globe, their claim may not be far off the mark. This year’s 131st Kieler Woche, amongst the oldest sailing weeks in the world, enabled millions to experience the maritime atmosphere of “KIEL.SAILING.CITY”– the theme for an entire city. 5,000 yachtsmen and women, 50 countries, 2,000 yachts, dinghies and surfboards, almost 40 sailing events, and more than 400 planned regatta starts on eleven race courses. The “Who’s who” of sailing in Europe (if not top Olympic sailors) lined up at the starting lines for this year’s events. Plus, all the sailors and visitors experienced an endless forest of masts on the banks of the bay, with over one hundred windjammers and traditional sailing boats moored on the quayside. The J/24s saw a fleet of 43 boats participating with the German team of Peer Kock taking the gold with 39 points. Second was a combination of American J/24 champion Mike Ingham and a British and German crew, including class leader Marianne Schoke with 41 points. In third was German Jan Kahler with 43 points. Rounding out the top five were Tobias Feuerherdt in fourth and Frithjof Schade in fifth. Top Hungarian boat was Farkas Litkey in 9th; top Monaco boat was Dennis Frederiksen in 6th; top Swedish boat was Per-Hakan Persson in 15th; top Netherlands boat was Erik Jeuring in 16th; and top women skipper was Germany’s Stephanie Kopcke in 18th. For more Kieler Woche information, visit www.kieler-woche.de.