Kiel Week Kicks Off with Sunshine, Smiles, and a Festive atmosphere

Kiel Week has officially started today, Saturday, June 21st, and the vibe is unmistakably festive—this isn’t just business; it’s pure celebration. Sailors and visitors alike are soaking up the sunshine, enjoying bratwursts, spaghetti ice cream, games, prize wheels, lively restaurants, and drinks after racing. The atmosphere is relaxed but electric—exactly what you’d expect from one of the world’s premier sailing events.

As one of the largest and most historic regattas on the planet, Kiel Week holds a special place in the sailing calendar. First held in 1882, this event draws thousands of sailors and spectators every year and serves as a crucial testing ground for Olympic hopefuls from around the globe.

This year all 10 Olympic classes are represented, with the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 fleets drawing top talent and fresh teams. The 49er class boasts an impressive 74 teams from 23 nations, while the 49erFX class welcomes 51 teams from 19 countries. The Nacra 17 fleet features 14 teams. Unsurprisingly, the host nation, Germany, is fielding the largest contingent with 28 teams across these three classes. Britain and Denmark are also well-represented, particularly in the 49er class.

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49erFX: Legends Return, Young Guns Rise

2025 Kiel Week Day 1
(c) Felix Diemer/Kieler Woche

The big news in the 49erFX fleet is the return of Denmark’s Jena Mai Seaton (formerly Jena Hansen). After retiring post-2017 World Championship glory and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics with Katja Salskov-Iversen, she’s back—this time with Christina Andersen as crew. All eyes are on this new duo as they re-enter the fray.

Canada’s Lewin-LaFrance sisters, Georgia and Antonia—fresh off winning the Open European Championship —are also in the spotlight. Joining them in the hunt are Germany’s own Hanna Wille and Marla Bergmann, the reigning European Champions. Germany’s FX squad is deep with talent this year, with several teams eyeing the podium.

Some crews are shaking things up by mixing fleets—like Mathilde Lovadina, teaming up with 2024 Junior World Champion Youenn Bertin for this regatta. Another exciting team to watch is Norway’s Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland, who claimed bronze in Palma earlier this year.

Kiel is also where fresh talent steps onto the big stage. Ewa Lewandowska, crowned 2024 Youth Female Sailor of the Year by World Sailing, is making her FX debut. A Youth World and European Champion in the 29er class, the sailing world is watching closely to see how she transitions to this demanding Olympic class.

49er: Champions Return, Rivalries Heat Up

In the men’s 49er fleet, reigning World Champions Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin of France are back on the water—Fischer freshly returned from paternity leave. They come to Kiel as the team to beat, flying the #1 sail and brimming with confidence after their victory in Palma.

Denmark’s Frederik Rask and Jakob Precht Jensen are hungry for another title in Kiel. With victories in 2018, 2020, and 2024, they seem to love even-numbered years—will 2025 break that pattern? The pair has been strong in recent events, scoring near the top and looking sharp for a breakthrough.

With light wind conditions forecast—similar to Thessaloniki—the young British duo William Pank and Thommie Grit could surprise again after their impressive 5th place at the European Championships. These college sailors are on the rise and full of confidence.

Germany’s Jakob Meggendorfer and Andreas Spranger lead the home fleet, having secured the Olympic selection for Paris. However, Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger, podium finishers in Palma and Hyères, are absent as Richard competes at the Moth Worlds.

One team looking for redemption is Uruguay’s crew. Despite leading large portions of the regattas in Hyères and Thessaloniki, they let both titles slip away in the final races—a frustrating but motivating experience. Could Kiel be the moment they finally close the deal?

Day 1 Highlights: A Slow Start, But Plenty of Action at Kiel Week

49erFX: Weather Delays, Polish Domination, and Mixed Results
The 49erFX fleet kicked off Kiel Week with a delay, as racing—originally scheduled for 13:00—was postponed until 16:15 due to unstable conditions. The fleet was split into Yellow and Blue groups to accommodate the large turnout.

In Race 1, Poland made a strong early statement by winning both fleet races. Gabriela Czapska and Hanna Rajchert were dominant in the Yellow fleet, holding their lead from start to finish in impressive form. Meanwhile, in the Blue fleet, Aleksandra MELZACKA and Sandra JANKOWIAK matched their performance with a win of their own—making it a perfect Polish sweep to open the regatta. Funny enough, they also both came 8th in the second race.

With only two races sailed today to give space for the 49er fleet, the leaders shuffled again in Race 2. Germany’s Katharina Schwachhofer and Elena Stoltze claimed victory in the Yellow fleet, while Estonia’s Helena Pais and Helena Ausman took the win in the Blue fleet.

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49er: Drama for the World Champions, Home Heroes Shine
The 49er fleet also sailed in two groups of roughly 40 boats each. But for reigning World Champions Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin, Kiel Week got off to a disastrous start. After a collision with an inexperienced team left their hull damaged and taking on water, they were forced to retire early and return to shore for repairs—scoring two costly DNS (Did Not Start) results. A frustrating beginning, but they’ll aim to recover in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Germany’s own Moritz Dorau and Riko Rockenbauch (aka “Dr. Sailing” on Instagram) lead the overall standings after a strong performance with a 3rd and a 1st place finish in their races. Close behind them are Uruguay’s Hernán Umpierre and Fernando Diz, eager to capitalize after near-misses in previous events.

Other race winners today included:

Otto Henry & Shaun Connor (AUS)
Akira Sakai & Russell Aylsworth (HKG)
Valentin Müller & Moritz Fiebig (GER)

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What’s Next?
Four races are scheduled tomorrow for each fleet in both the 49er and 49erFX classes—plenty of time for the leaderboard to shake up. For the Women’s Skiff (49erFX), the first possible warning signal is set for 14:15 hrs.

Stay tuned as Kiel Week 2025 continues to deliver surprises, setbacks, and sailing at its finest.