Sail Away on Kieler Woche! Up to 4000 Sailors Set to Conquer Kiel Fjord
Gathering on Kiel Bay: Anticipated Attendance of Approximately 4000 Individuals at the Event - Approximately 4000 participants engaged in the Kiel Week activities.
Get ready for some high seas action! The much-anticipated Kieler Woche kicks off on June 21, marking its 131st edition - Germany's oldest and largest regatta series. Originally held way back in 1882, this maritime festival continues to draw a crowd with around 4000 participants from almost 60 nations ready to race in 400 events over nine days!
The grand opening will happen on Saturday at 1 PM sharp at the Olympia Center Kiel-Schilksee. Schleswig-Holstein's Minister of the Interior, Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, alongside Anna Markfort, 470er World Championship runner-up, Kiel's Mayor, Dr. Ulf Kämpfer, and Dirk Ramhorst, sports director of Kieler Woche, will set the stage for the action-packed week ahead.
Expect to see a diverse range of Olympic dinghies, skiffs, and foiling catamarans gracing the waters. Plus, international classes and big boats will join in the racing fun too! And let's not forget about the naval cutters. Every year, the windjammer parade is the cherry on top, happening on June 28 in the Schleswig-Holstein "Sailing City" area.
The starters will be the Olympic sailors, taking on their short courses in the Strander Bay and in the vicinity of the Bülk lighthouse, while the Kiel yacht sailors battle it out with the Aalregatta. Seagoing yachts will compete for three German championships in Kiel: inshore, offshore, and in double-handed mode.
This year brings a new twist to Kieler Woche history, with a second event location on the eastern shore of the Kiel Fjord in Stein. As Dirk Ramhorst explains, "Stein offers the 'flying boards' of the iQFOiL Games and the wing foilers optimal competition conditions, while most boat classes will continue to be based in Schilksee." The event will also feature eight Olympic disciplines and twice as many international ones as ever before!
- Kieler Woche
- Sailing
- Olympics
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Sabine Sütterlin-Waack
- Kiel
- Ulf Kämpfer
- Stein (Kiel Fjord)
While competitors from around the world prepare for the Kieler Woche races, the European Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment in Stein, the second event location on the eastern shore of the Kiel Fjord. As the excitement builds for the Olympic sailing events, it's crucial to remember the importance of preserving the natural beauty of the Schleswig-Holstein region for future generations to enjoy sports like sailing.
