Medal races over

Kieler Woche has finished for Olympic classes

Weather conditions varied within the first half of Kieler Woche 2007, but finally the Race Committee succeeded to finish the racing on all courses of the Olympic Classes and the top-ten teams of each class sailing exciting and media attractive Medal Races along the waterside of the Schilksee Olympic harbour.

Two German teams successfully won their first Kieler Woche title: In the Tornado Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz, who experienced an injury in yesterday’s race, scored ten points and forced their countrymen Helge and Christian Sach into second place and the Austrian team og Zajac and Czajka into third. The other German team to win was Marcus Baur and Hannes Baumann who won the 49er class after eight races. Kostov and Cupac (CRO) were second and Briesenick-Pudenz and Massmann (GER) were third overall.

The Austrian federation can be proud of two teams winning the Kieler Woche title: Vogl and Flatscher (AUT) won the women's 470 class and fought successfully against Rechichi and Parkinson (AUS) in second and Kondo and Kamata (JPN) in third.

Luck and skill caused the Austrian Star team of Spitzauer and Nehammer to win the title in the double-handed Olympic keelboat. The US team Merriman and Peters Rick were second, and 'veteran' Alex Hagen and Kleen (GER) finished in third.

The scores in the Finn Class were close: The Kieler Woche winner is Gasper (SLO) with Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) in second and Dan Slater (NZL) in third.

The Italian competitors Zandona and Trani won the men's 470 class with Belcherand Behrens (AUS) second and another Aussie team, Wilmot and Page, third.

Three sailors from the Southern hemisphere won in the Laser Radial fleet. First went to Jo Aleh (NZL), second Weir (AUS) and rounding out the podium in third was Blanck (AUS).

Michael Blackburn (AUS) won in the Laser class, with K. Deniss (EST) second and Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) third overall. The Medal Race of the Laser Class had to be abandoned due to dying breeze.

In the RS:X classes two Polish entries scored best: Maksymilian Wojcik (POL) sailed a superb Kieler Woche to take first place, followed by Etienne Saiz (FRA) in second and Benjamin Barger (USA) in third.

There was a rather limited number of women's RS:X competitors. With only 11 entries Agata Brygota (POL) won in front of the two German girls Moana Delle in second and Regina Stadler in third after seven races.

In the 2.4mR Paralympic Class Heiko Kröger (GER) (after three Kieler Woche victories in the past five years) placed second overall as Thierry Schmitter (NED) crossed the finish in first place in five out of ten races. Pascoe (GBR) finished in third.

Kieler Woche 2008 will be the last regatta series of the newly invented ISAF Sailing World Cup between June 25 and June 29, 2008.

Premium Partners of Kiel Week 2007 like BMW (presenter), HSH Nordbank, freenet and boot Duesseldorf as well as numerous co-sponsors like b+m Informatik,B + S Card Service, Canon, Fürst Bismarck Quelle, Helly Hansen, Hugo Hamann, International Farbenwerke, Jever, Kapsch CarrierCom, Kielnet, Lankhorst/Hohorst, Nexus, Segler-Zeitung, Tutima contribute successfully to this year’s 125th edition of Kiel Week.
Results, here .