"Rough Sailing at Kiel Week" - Competitors Slam Unprepared Conditions
Severe Criticism Pours in over Weak Kiel Event
Social Media Email Print Copy Link "A Race to Nowhere": The chaos off the shores of Kiel during the second day of the annual regatta saw several mass capsize incidents and the blowing free of start ships, leading to heavy criticism from disgruntled competitors.
In the realm of high-stakes ocean racing, Kiel Week proved less than Olympic-worthy, as startships wrestled against the elements on Tuesday. The day saw another series of issues with races on the water, where anchors of start ships failed to hold, and sailors' complaints were rife on the course of the Olympic Ilca-7 sailors.
Owing to unsteady winds gusting between 20-25 knots, the startship hovered aimlessly, delaying the ranks of racers significantly. As Philipp Buhl, the 2020 world champion in the class, put it, "This was a disaster and unfit for the Olympics." The class's previous day had seen sailors prepared for four races reluctantly return to the base due to unfavorable conditions.
Believing that the event organize was not adequately equipped to handle the unruly weather, Buhl along with fellow racers baulked at mounting an onboard camera without the necessary balancing weight.
"A Disappointing Show"
Like a loose cannon during a storm, the unsuitable start boat for strong winds also caused contention on the sea course, as the anchor again failed to grip. Here, after similar troubles from the previous day, the race committee tried French-style to exchange the start boat, but without success. In the end, only one race instead of the hoped-for three was completed.
Jürgen Klinghardt, owner of the third-placed vessel "patent 4," voiced frustration, saying, "We feel that we have been denied the opportunity to potentially win the IDM Inshore." Other teams echoed complaints about the restricted sporting program, as their tremendous effort netted only a fraction of the planned races. The IDM Inshore was won in the large ORC class by the Danish "Formula X," and in the small class by Torsten Bastiansen's "Sydbank" from the Flensburg Yacht Club. On Wednesday, the medal races in six Olympic disciplines will take place at the halfway point of the Kiel Week.
The seething sea on Monday, with its vicious winds and chaotic races, deserved the dramatic moniker of "survival conditions," according to helmswoman Elena Stoltze, who competed in the Olympic 49erFX. Amid the tumultuous waves, competitors barely held on, frustrated and upset with the event organization.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
- Kiel
- Storm
Amid the tumultuous weather conditions during Kiel Week, sports like sailing faced challenging 'Sports, wind and weather' conditions, causing problems for startships and competitors. Despite these difficulties, Ocean racers continued to face these sports with frustration, with Philipp Buhl stating, "This was a disaster and unfit for the Olympics."
