You cant get it any better. Have a look at the great shots which photographer Sommerwerck at: Sommerwerck, Maritime Photografie took during a typical race day in Kiel last week. The appetizer here at the front (Christian in typical airborne style) is one of these shots. I think we will see a couple of them in some future magazines and advertising about some fresh products, mens aftershave or whatever. I am glad that I have been one of the fleet. I am not so happy that I did not find myself in one of the shots.  read more »

There is an interesting Kiel Week Video here. It shows some heavy weather action from Monday, when the wind was above 30kn, gusting up to 38n. No dinghy sailing on the various courses but a few Laser enthusiasts where practicing jibes. Also some footage from my German Moth friends, Peter and Carlo. The full Moth result list is here: Moth results, Kiel 2008

Being on holiday this week and staying home, I was playing with the Moth after the frustrations of loosing the foil from the centerboard last week. On Monday I had some good time out here on the Schlei until I lost my rudder foil. In hindsight I think there must be an old fishing net or a rope where I hooked in and sheared the foil off. It happened quickly and I did not come to a halt. Frustrating after the boat felt so nice and quick. The good thing is that I am prepared for these misshapes. I have a second set of foils (ordered for the aim to help out people in Kiel when the dealership between Bladerider and Christian Brand was not settled) and as you can recognize that this helped me immensely this week. First the wing from the centerboard, now the wing from the rudder. My stocks of spares is running down as Felix still has a few important parts which can break or need to be replaced when abused or used a lot. Enough of this, back to sailing. Tuesday searching the shores for the foil with no success. Wind around the 15kn mark gave me good practice on the adjusted set up (2 turns in) Ride height in the waves not too much. Downwind I think I am sailing way too conservative. Should risk more, should steer more aggressive. But all in all some gains here and there. I have the feeling that my tacks are improving faster than my still "nonfoiling jibes". Wednesday evening the wind was on for the last beer-can-race before the school holidays and with K. not available and my crew at the 14s worlds, I asked young Adrian if he would crew me. He is out on his Europe dinghy at many evenings and very much interested in all aspects of sailing. No wonder, his father is a designer and engineer of yachts and commercial ships. OK, here we go. I helmed the start and the first beat and Adrian took over after rounding the weathermark middle of the fleet. We were overpowered, overcanvased or simply put: we did not have enough weight on the rail. The two of us. Around the mark, I rigged the boom, hoisted the kite, got it up without watering it. A bit of sailing on the port tack and than we had to jibe. We wiped out. Hard. Layed flat. Dropped the halyard and had luck that we, or better the others, avoided to hit us, to break our 2m bowsprit which stuck out on the front end like a sword. After I had peeled all the wet 60msq of gennaker back into the hatch we needed time to catch our breath. We were last boat by now and sailed without the red monster but after a while hoisted it again to dry it out and to catch some boats. Arent we racing here?  read more »

Havent been connected to the Internet at home over the weekend. Could not follow the Volvo Ocean Race neither write the outstanding reports about the Laser sailing and the other interesting racing. Hope to get it done later. Had a good day out on the Moth yesterday. Due to the upcoming boatshow in Hamburg, which runs over the next two weekends, it looks like I should pack it in. I had been "over" dressed yesterday with two layers under the Musto Drysuit. A bit warm after a few manouvers without falling into the brink. Than I realized that one of the Cambers had not been set correct (jumped away from the mast during rigging, I guess) but impossible to do it whilst swimming around.  read more »

A nice breeze on Friday evening, the 25th, left me satisfied with my progress on the Moth. Had some good controlled downwind flights and more decent tacks than bad ones. There was a junior Team with a 29er out on the water whom I could beat upwind, coming from behind and there was a Laser SB3 upwind whom I could not pass due to some very bad tacks at the end of my session. All in all it was good to meet with other boats. It is motivating a lot. The "happiness" after sailing with the Moth came maybe due to changes in my "training plan".  read more »

[Source: iShares Cup] The final pieces of the jigsaw are now in place for the 2008 iShares Cup Sailing Series. The venue for the German leg of the European tour has been confirmed as Kiel, on the Baltic Sea. Kiel, in northern Germany, is the third new venue for the 2008 iShares Cup and home to the fourth event on the circuit the Extreme 40 fleet will race there from 29-31 August, offering guests and spectators a chance to get a great close-up view of the fast-paced iShares Cup racing. The bustling city has a strong maritime history, and lies on the busiest artificial waterway in the world, the Kiel Canal. Every June the city holds Kiel Week, the largest sailing event in Europe, which combines dinghy and yacht racing with a festival of ships, music and fireworks. The event welcomes about three million visitors annually, who perch on the sea walls and rocky coastal defences to watch around 2,000 boats ranging from massive tall ships to racing yachts and Olympic dinghy classes. The iShares Cup racecourses will be held in the same fantastic sailing amphitheatre. Both the areas exceptional natural sailing stadium, and the enthusiasm of the city of Kiel to host the German venue of the 2008 iShares Cup, easily convinced us when it came to making the final call, explained Event Director Gilles Chiorri, of OC Events, The racecourse will be so close to the spectators that it will be an amazing spectacle to watch the Extreme 40 fleet rounding the marks just a couple of metres from the shore!  read more »