News & Features | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Site : Final Races To Start Close To The Beach

News

26 July 2005, 11:42 am

Final Races To Start Close To The Beach

Travemünder Woche 2005

Travemünder, Germany

Today the top six competitors in the 29er, 49er and Tornado fleets will be competing in a series of final race offs to decide the winners at the 116th ISAF Grade 3 Travemünder Woche, an ISAF Grade 2 event for the 49ers and Tornados.

The race course will be located close to the beach so that the sailing fans on shore can watch the finals easily. 'We have made up our mind very early to go the new way,' explained race chairman Walter MIELKE, 'and we are excited to see how it all works.'

The final race will be not longer than approximately ten to fifteen minutes. The last in each race will be eliminated until only three boats left. The three final competitors will then sail as many fleet races as necessary before the one of them reaches two wins. 'This is the future of sailing,' said four times Olympian Roland GAEBLER (GER), 'we are looking forward to it.'

For GAEBLER and his crew Gunnar STRUCKMANN, the new format means they still can hope for an overall victory in Travemünder. After the end of race eight yesterday they lay third overall, seven points behind Andrey KIRILYUK and Valery USHKOV (RUS), who in turn had a two point lead over Hugh STYLES and Graham VIALS (GBR).

Meanwhile Thomas REIN and Patrick BOEHMER (GER) held on to their lead in the 49er, ahead of Christoph SIEBER and Clemens KRUSE (AUT) and Martin LEWIS and Oliver LEWIS (GER).

Alexander SCHLONSKI (GER) remains on top in the Laser, whilst Annina WAGNER and Anneli HARTMANN (GER) lead the 470s.

Whilst two time World Champions Wolfgang HUNGER and Holger JESS (GER) look to have the International German 505 Championship in the bag although the battle for second is tight with three crews tied on 24 points.

Andreas Kling (As Amended By ISAF)