Exciting climax to Volvo Champions Race

Tati Pokorny reports on the spectator friendly 49er and Tornado racing in Germany

It was a stormy and spectacular last day of the Volvo Champions Race in Schwerin, Germany. In gusty winds of up to force five more than 5,000 people enjoyed watching the final races of the second tour stop of this new German Super Series and egging on the sailors with cheers and Mexican waves each time they rounded one of the marks close to the beach. The fans were rewarded with fantastic sport on the water and exciting manoeuvres right in front of their eyes.

On the final day nobody could stop three times World Champion Chris Nicholson and his crew Gary Boyd from Australia to win the series of 11 races in great style. Peter and Sören Hansen from Denmark, winners of the first Volvo Champions Race in Schwerin last month, came second just ahead of the German pre-Olympics starters Marcus Baur and Max Groy.

"It's been tricky to sail but we had a great time in Schwerin," said Chris Nicholson. "Everyone has been so friendly. It´s the best thing for our sport when the public can come and watch us."

In the Tornados Robbie Daniels and Andreas Straume managed to turn the rankings upside down at the final day and won the event. The new US Champions won the the series just one point ahead of the British team of Robert Wilson and Martin Sellars. Australia's World Champion and Olympic Silver Medallist Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby came third overall after a hotly contested last race.

"Certainly the venue and Volvo Champions Race do match the type of boat we are sailing in," said Daniels. "It's the right way into the future for sailing to involve communities and go hand in hand with them." The final race was breathtaking. Three teams went into the last race with equal points. Roland Gäbler was the unlucky loser of the day as he dropped down from first to fourth overall after a bad start in the last race.

"It was bad luck today for us but it's been a fantastic event and we look forward to the next one in Travemünde in the beginning of October," said Gäbler. "Every one should watch what is happening over here and take it as an example of where sailing has to go in the future".

Final Results Volvo Champions Race / Schwerin
(after 11 races / 2 discards)

Tornado Sport
1st Robbie Daniel/Anders Straume (USA) 33.00 (1/10/1/10/9/4/1/11/3/3/1)
2nd Robert Wilson/Martin Sellars (GBR) 34.00 (2/4/6/5/10/1/4/9/1/6/5)
3rd Darren Bundock/Glenn Ashby (AUS) 36.00 (6/7/2/4/3/3/8/2/2/9/7)
4th Roland Gäbler/Gunnar Struckmann (GER) 38.00 (9/3/4/2/2/2/2/5/9/11/11)
5th Peder Ronholt/Sören Jörgensen (DEN) 42.00 (5/2/5/6/8/6/6/3/6/10/3)
6th Johannes Polgar/Will Howden (GER/GBR) 45.00 (8/8/8/7/1/5/12/4/4/2/6)
7th Helge und Christian Sach (GER) 47.00 (4/1/3/12/5/9/DSQ/1/13/4/2)
8th Martin Strandberg/Christian Mattson (SWE) 55.00 (10/9/9/1/6/12/7/7/13/4/2)
9th Diego Cayolla/Nuno Barreto (POR) 60.00 (11/6/11/9/4/8/3/10/5/13/4)
10th Lars Bähr/Dino Grobe (GER) 65.00 (3/5/10/11/7/10/5/12/12/5/9)
11. Tino+Niko Mittelmeier (GER) 76.00 (DNF/14/7/3/11/14/9/6/7/7/12)
12. Erik Holden/Mark Coakley (CAN) 92.30 (7/13/13/14/10.3/7/10.3/14/8/12/8)
13. Patrick Egger/Kristof Koch (GER) 96.00 (13/11/12/8/14/13/11/8/8/14/10)
14. Eckart+Gyde Kaphengst (GER) 110.00 (12/15/DNF/13/12/15/10/13/14/8/0
15. Christina Loweg/Julia Nowak (GER) 127.00 (14/12/14/15/13/11/DNF/DNS/DNC7DNC/DNC)

49er
1st Chris Nicholson/Gary Boyd (Australia) 21.00 (1/5/6/4/3/1/2/1/2/2/5)
2nd Peter und Sören Hansen (DEN) 26.00 (3/1/3/2/4/2/5/4/4/8/3)
3rd Marcus Baur/Max Groy (GER) 33.00 (7/6/2/1/2/6/1/6/6/3/11)
4th Markus Steeg/Moritz Deml (GER) 39.00 (2/2/4/12/10/7/3/7/3/12/1)
5th John Harris/Evan McNicol (AUS) 40.00 (6/3/1/7/5/10/4/3/13/7/4)
6. Rodion Luka/George Leonchuk (UKR) 50.00 (9/11/5/5/7/5/8/5/1/5/DNF)
7. Gabriel Wicke/Wolf Jeschonnek (GER) 50.00 (5/7/7/3/9/11/6/13/7/4/2)
8. Nico Delle-Karth/Nikolaus Resch (AUT) 51.00 (4/4/8/DSQ/1/3/7/11/12/1/12)
9. Ronald Rensch/Torsten Haverland (GER) 62.00 (8/12/10/9/11/4/13/2/5/6/7)
10. Felix Oehme/Julien Kleiner (GER) 80.00 (12/13/9/6/8/12/10/9/11/9/6)
11. Jan-Peter+Hannes Peckolt (GER) 84.00 (10/8/11/DNF/6/8/11/12/10/11/9)
12. Mike Bassett/Kurt Riechelmann (NZL) 90.00 (14/9/13/8/14/14/9/10/9/10/8)
13. Martin Kirketerp/Dion Valente (DEN) 104.00 (DNF/10/12/10/12/13/14/15/8/DNF/10)
14. Martin Gernhardt/Fionn Erdmann (GER) 105.00 (11/14/14/11/13/9/12/8/DNF/13/DNF)
15. Frank und Peter Mühlhauser (GER) 137.00 (13/DNF/DNF/DNF/15/DNF/15/14/DNF/DNF/DNF)