Kieler Woche Favors a Mediterranean Flavor

Kieler Woche shrugged off its reputation for chilly Baltic temperatures and turned on Mediterranean temperatures and much more settled breezes. Clearly the warmth and decent breezes suit the Spanish girls Silvia Mas and Paula Barcelo who lead the Women’s fleet at the 470 Junior World Championships by five points. In the Men’s championship the German duo Malte Winkl and Matti Cipra still lead but the Italians Giacomo Ferrari and Giuilio Calabro were unstoppable today winning both of their races.

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Italian crews also made the early pace on the first day of the 90 boat J/70 European Championships holding all four top places after three races for all three fleets. Stefano Roberti – who sails for the YC Monaco – and Carlo Alberini – both won two races apiece which they add to a second place.

In the 49er Class New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke atoned after an OCS yesterday and posted 2,1,1,2 today to take over the lead of the class.
After a problematic opening day when the unsettled, shifty breezes proved hard to read, smiles were more prominent around the 470 Junior World Championships boat park today after racing. The Men’s fleets raced two good contests in a settled 8-12kts while the Womens fleets enjoyed three good races. 

Italians did it better in the Men’s fleet where Giancomo Ferrari and Guilio Calabro – who finished third last year - won both of their fleet races to move into the Finals series tomorrow in fourth place overall. 
“Yesterday was very tricky. Today was perfect.” Crew Calabro confirmed, “Our second start was not very good at all but we really were sailing fast. Two wins is good for us.” 
But it is the German duo Malte Winkel and Matti Cipra who are riding a wave of confidence on the water they know well. 
“The wind was stable and it was quite physical. We had to fight hard in both races rounding the top mark in fifth or sixth each time and then taking boats. In the second race we had such a bad start, touching the pin end boat and so we had to do a 360 but we got fourth,” said Cipra
Helm Matti Winkl adds: “I think we are leading because we have made the fewest mistakes. Yesterday was really difficult and you had to get the one gust to do well and if you missed it you were nowhere. This year we have been sailing a lot in Rio to support our 470 team for the Olympic Games but the last one and a half weeks we have trained hard here. And the last few years we have trained here but mostly in front of the harbour. And I learned on a Lake so the shifty conditions are good for me.” 
The German pair, who have never before lead a regatta as big and important as the 470 Junior World Championship, take a margin of two points into the Finals but face stiff competition from the Barcelona’s Charles twins who were crowned ISAF Youth World Champions in the 420 class in Dublin are furiously consistent and last year’s 470 Junior World Champions Guillaume Pirouelle and Valentin Sapin – who finished runners up to the Charles in Dublin – are also well placed in fifth.

It was not today’s sticky heat which made the Spanish duo Silvia Mas and Paula Barcelo feel at home but the breeze patterns and choppy sea which – they say – are reminiscent of their training waters on the Bay of Palma. The fizzy Spaniards sailed a steady 2,4,2 and so lead last year’s runners up Maria Bozi and Rafalina Klonaridou by five points going into the Finals. 
“It was not tricky like yesterday, much more settled and usually the left was strong. I think we can do well here if we can keep this up into the finals,” said crew Barcelo. 



Peter Burling and Blair Tuke did not have it all their own way on the second day of racing for the 49er fleet. 2008’s Olympic gold medallist Jonas Warrer sailing with Christian Lubeck took the first race with Burling and Tuke second while Germany’s Justus Schmidt and Max Boheme – runners up in Barcelona at the 49er Europeans won the third race of the day. The high calibre racing – two sets of Olympic medallists in the top three – is good for all as preparation for Rio: 
“After yesterday’s UFD we are happier today. We made a couple of errors which meant we did not win all our races. We sailed well yesterday and here we are just looking to keep on learning and keep on getting better.” Said helm Burling. 
Burling and Tuke lead by one point from the Croatians Pavle Kostov and Petar Cupac with Warrer and Lubeck third and Ireland’s Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in fourth.

23/6/2016 18:40