Medal Races in Olympic Classes at Kiel Week

'Laser sailor Tom Slingsby (AUS) Photo: Rob Brown)' Australian Sailing Team Click Here to view large photo

Excellent wind conditions, plenty of races, Match Racing for Women in the city, Olympic candidates especially in 470M, Laser R, 49er and Star,...Kieler Woche 2008 was the final Grade 1 event before the Olympics in Qingdao/China in August.

The Medal races were held on two parallel courses just outside the Olympic Centre Schilksee. The remaining crews not sailing the Medal Race started on the familiar race courses around Kiel Fjord.

The world # 1 crew R. Scheidt/B. Prada just missed the overall victory in the Star fleetand finished the series as second. His rival F. L??f/A. Ekstrom SWE won their first Kieler Woche title after finishing the all decisive Medal Race as first , both crews sharing 14 points overall. A. Hagen/F. Kleen, GER were successful in keeping their third overall.

The consistent scoring of Japanese A. Kondo/N. Kamata in the 470 W fleetproved successful, their victory in the Medal Race secured them their first Kieler Woche Gold Medal. T. Torgersson/V. Santen, SWE (Bronze Medal Athens 2004) missed out on the last three races and finished the series as 11th.

The Spanish team I. Martinez/X. Fernandez seem to have a firm booking for 'Gold'. After winning the Gold Medal in Athens, they won this year's Kieler Woche (57) in the 49er Class.Second and third team were in Danish hands, as second brothers P. and S. Hansen scored 87, J. Warrer/M. Kirketerp finished as 3rd overall (104). The Australians Outteridge/Austin (World Champion 2008) scored overall 149 in 14th place.

D. Seguin repeated his Kieler Woche 2006 victory by scoring best (29) in the Paralympic 2.4mR Class,followed by second T. Schmitter (32) and third Heiko Kr?ger (triple Kieler Woche winner in the past).

The Medal Race in Finndecided between R. Trujillo, ESP who missed his victory in the double counting final race and shares even points (23) with E. Wright, GBR as second overall (19) after the Medal Race finish as first. J. H?gh-Christensen, DEN became third. V. Gasper, SLO won the Kieler Woche title in 2007 and finished as overall sixth.

(ESP) Rafael Trujillo - Finn class - James Taylor Click Here to view large photo

Sari Multala, FIN won the Laser Radial WMedal Race and finished the series as second (53) S. de Turckheim, FRA was first overall and the leader over the last four race days of this fleet, Lijia Xu CHN, placed third overall.

Three nations are represented in the 470 M fleetlead: First T. Etter/F. Steiger, SUI, second A. Dahlberg/S. Ostling, SWE after winning the Medal Race, third G. Woolley/M. Overington, NZL. who moved up to the top by winning today's Medal Race.

European Champion in RS:X M BoardsP. Miarczynski, POL lost his overall lead and placed second (18). His countryman P. Myszka was more lucky in the Medal Race and won Kieler Woche Gold in the Men's board fleet. The only German Kieler Woche Gold Medal went to Romy Kinzl in the RS:X Wboard fleet who defended her lead over the Polish ladies A. Galecka (second) and M. Hcavaty (third) successfully without one of them winning the decisive Medal Race.

Today's last finishing Laser Classmade two-times World Champion Tom Slingsby, AUS winning the series with G. Lima, POR as second and M. Leigh, CAN as overall third.

Last but not least a special record this year: Within the nine fleets of the Olympic Classes Kieler Woche 2008 victory went to teams from nine different countries GBR, SWE, FRA, JPN, POL, ESP, GER, SUI, AUS.

Next year Kieler Woche will be incorporated into the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Farewell to all competitors, 'Auf Wiedersehen' during Kieler Woche 2009 from June 20th to June 28th! (hmb)

by Event media