Hunger and Kleiner hang in there

Germans and Danes battle it out for the top spot at the SAP 505 Europeans

The German pairing of Dr Wolfgang Hunger and Julien Kleiner (Kiel) continue on track for the title of the SAP European Championship in the 505 class within Kieler Woche after the second day of racing. Though the team could not repeat the successes of yesterday (when they won both races), they sailed consistently in the top ranks.

The other 13 international classes also stayed close to their race schedule when they commenced racing in Kiel today in moderate easterly winds.

Alhtough second placed in the fleet of the 505s racing the Europeans, the Danish brothers Jacob and Jörgen Bojsen-Möller's chances of taking the title are growing slim. The reason being that because of personal reasons the Danes have to skip Friday's races altogether. Automatically now everyone focusses on the teams following in the results. First in line in this respect are World Champions of 2007, Jan Saugmann and Morten Ramsbaek from Denmark. But young Meike Schomäker (24) is listed shortly after them in fourth. For one and a half months now she has been sailing with Holger Jess from Eckernförde who is also a past 505 World Champion. And also the top German team of Jens Findel and Johannes Tellen (Kiel) are also in the game after they collected two bullets in two of today's races.

But the windy conditions forecast for tomorrow worry favourite Dr. Wolfgfang Hunger. The clewring of their heavy weather jib looks somewhat dodgy. "We must keep an eye on it,“ he says.

In most other classes sailing in Kiel Week German sailors are in the hunt for the top positions. Only the catamaran sailors in both the Formula 18 and Hobie 16 have been top from the beginning. So the German team of Andreas John and Sten Höpfner are leading the fleet in the Formula 18 catamarans as do multiple European champion Detlef Mohr and Karen Wichard who won both races. In the Formula 18s highly experienced favourites and past World Champions Helge and Christian Sach capsized twice and so handed the top spot to John/Höpfner. Sailors from Germany also hold top positions in the the J/24, OK-Dinghy and H-boat classes.

Full results: