Kieler Woche 2023: Olympic Sailors and International Boat Classes Compete

Record winner Wolfgang Hunger will not be participating in this year’s Kiel Week regattas due to a disagreement between the organizers and the class association. Hunger’s boat class 505 is no longer part of the program, and despite his disappointment, Hunger stated that the number of victories he has at Kiel Week is not important to him.

In the Olympic boat classes, the German Sailing Association’s national team achieved three home victories on Wednesday. Some Olympic sailors are even participating in the Kiel Week twice, with Germany’s best 470 mixed sailors also competing in the International German Championship in the J/70 sports boat class. Malte Winkel from Kiel, who finished third in the Olympic half-time with his wife Anastasiya, has been leading the J/70 classification with his crew “halbtrocken light” for three consecutive days. Winkel mentioned that the experience in J/70 sailing can be beneficial for their 470 campaign.

In the Contenders class, Max Billerbeck from the Kollmar water sports club is currently leading the field ahead of two Danish sailors after six races. Billerbeck, who is also a boat builder and the 2019 world champion, expressed his excitement about determining their position at the Kiel Week before the upcoming world championship in Kerteminde, Denmark.

Meanwhile, at the Nacra 17 class, the Olympic bronze medalists are currently in third place after six races. Windsurfer Sebastian Kördel had a strong start with two wins.

The Kiel Week, which has been running since Saturday, has attracted 1,404 entries from 51 nations, including world champions and Olympic medalists. The event continues to showcase the talent and competitiveness of sailors from around the world.

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How has the absence of record winner Wolfgang Hunger affected the atmosphere and anticipation of the Kiel Week regattas?

Record winner Wolfgang Hunger will not be participating in this year’s Kiel Week regattas due to a disagreement between the organizers and the class association. Hunger’s boat class 505 is no longer part of the program, and despite his disappointment, Hunger stated that the number of victories he has at Kiel Week is not important to him.

However, the German Sailing Association’s national team has achieved three home victories in the Olympic boat classes this week. Some Olympic sailors are even competing in the Kiel Week twice, with Germany’s best 470 mixed sailors also taking part in the International German Championship in the J/70 sports boat class. Malte Winkel from Kiel, who finished third in the Olympic halfway mark with his wife Anastasiya, has been leading the J/70 classification with his crew “halbtrocken light” for three consecutive days. According to Winkel, the experience in J/70 sailing can be beneficial for their 470 campaign.

In the Contenders class, Max Billerbeck from the Kollmar water sports club is currently leading the field ahead of two Danish sailors after six races. Billerbeck, who is also a boat builder and the 2019 world champion, expressed his excitement about determining their position at the Kiel Week before the upcoming world championship in Kerteminde, Denmark.

Over in the Nacra 17 class, the Olympic bronze medalists are currently in third place after six races. Windsurfer Sebastian Kördel had a strong start with two wins.

Despite Wolfgang Hunger’s absence, the Kiel Week remains a highly anticipated event with 1,404 entries from 51 nations, including world champions and Olympic medalists. This competition continues to showcase the incredible talent and competitiveness of sailors from around the world.