Sailing - Kieler Woche: Kröger opens the second half with a lightning start
scarcely had the Paralympic sailors of the national team bid farewell to the 130th Kiel Week, the eight international boat classes started the second half on Thursday. In seven classes, two races were completed each, before the regatta day on the Kiel Fjord was safely terminated due to an approaching squall.
In the inclusive One-Person Keelboat 2.4mR, Paralympic champion Heiko Kroger from Ammersbek opened the series with two decisive daily wins. The 14-time Kiel Week winner, who can still not quite catch up with records winner Wolfgang Hunger from Strande, can, however, catch up with the 24-time winner, as Hunger's boat class 505er is no longer in the program in Kiel.
In the Sportboat J/70, where former Olympic participants, Bundesliga sailors, and a total of 40 crews were measuring themselves against each other, only one race could be completed. Here, the two-time Olympic third-placer Thomas Ploßel, Bundesliga record champion Tobi Schadewaldt (both Norddeutscher Regatta Verein), and their crew missed the start: they were disqualified in race one among ten boats at the mass start. The 130th Kiel Week is still being continued until Sunday.
- Kieler Woche, Results
The Paralympic sailors from Schleswig-Holstein celebrated their finale at the Olympia-VI-Quai, concluding their participation in the 130th Kiel Week. Despite the early termination of Kiel Week due to the approaching squall, the Lightning class continued their sailing events near the Kiel Fjord. Germany has a strong presence in the Kiel Week Sailing events, showcasing their skills in various classes such as the 505er, which unfortunately is no longer included in the program.
