Report: Dan Agar
It has been a few years since some GBR boats attended Kiel Week, so this year three
of us decided to give it a look. Nick had done it a few times and won it twice in
the OK. Dan had done it in a yacht and Alex had never been.
Alex sportingly took 3 boats on his transit, had Dan as a chatty passenger whilst Nick flew into Hamburg, hired a soft top Smart car and arrived fresh as a daisy. The journey from the east coast of the UK is not too bad. An overnight ferry from Harwich to the Hook, leaves an 8 hour drive across Holland and Germany which gets you there late afternoon.
For those that haven't done the event in a dinghy, this is where the fun begins. The event is huge, which means lots of people and boats arriving within a short time. The Germans have had a bit of practice at running this event and despite the chaotic appearance do it pretty well. Don't turn up thinking you know better and people are being awkward for the sake of it, just be patient and it will turn out alright. After we sat in a jam at what we thought was the entrance for many minutes, we were told it wasn't (it was the exit) and pointed in the right direction. A 50 euro deposit got us into the site with the van and trailer. As long as we were out again with the van within the hour, we got our money back. Stage 1 completed.
Stage 2 is having somewhere to stay. There are fields of tents and vans, to get to which you have to go through another checkpoint, pay some money, get a receipt to put on the tent/van and then wait, for what seems for no good reason, particularly when they are letting other cars in that arrived after us - is it cos we are English?? No, it's actually because they were very helpfully trying to find us a space large enough to put a transit van and 2 tents at a time when most people had already arrived and bagged a spot. They did their job well. Van parked, tents pitched, stage 2 completed.
Stage 3 is all the other bits - rigging the boat, registering, eating, and waiting for his lordship to arrive. All easy enough.
Sailing started the next day. 2 races on the schedule. The aim was for about an
hour a race, trapezoid courses shared with Contenders and Pirates. Our course area -
Echo an hours sail from the club. If you have been there - head toward the light
house and turn left. When the published start time is 11am - that's when it is!
We were rather disappointed that the race officers watch was some 15 seconds slow
on the second day after we had left early to get to the race area on time in light
winds. Several boats wished it had been slower.
With a dodgy forecast for the Monday and Tuesday, it was decided to do 3 races on the first day. Thomas Hansson-Mild getting a 2,1,1. Pretty exceptional performance in the very shifty, choppy conditions. Nick scored 3,3,5. Alex a 30, 14,16 Dan 24,22,22.
The second day had 3 more races. The first was shortened as the wind died. Marek Jarocki and Alex had gone hard left and kept in the lightest of breezes to come though to the 1st and 3rd respectively. Alistair Deaves getting 2nd spot having led for much of the race. Nick was 4th, Dan 7th. The fan was then switched on in a different direction for the next 2 races. Alex getting a 11 and 7 and Nick a 6 and 2 had good days. Dan getting a 28 and 12 more mixed.
The sail in provided some excitement. As the marina appeared in the distance, the wind went very light. Not to worry, all good training. When the black clouds appeared over the land together with forks of lightening, again no worries, nearly in. When the wind picked up as we got into the marina it was really quite good - speed up the last few hundred yards. When the hail and the 40knot squall came through it was quite wet and we were glad we weren't in the 29ers that just crashed, bit annoying they are in our way and upside down mind. Thinking that we would have to be a bit careful sailing round them. When a second 50-60knot squall arrived there was not an awful lot that could be done, except for Alex and Dan to order new sails.
The early part of the evening was spent putting spare kit together. The forecast (and why we had 3 races on day one) was for wind next day. The forecast was accurate. The day was spent, dozing, reading, eating, telling lies etc. etc.
The final day was raced in 12-18knots.Nick did not have the best of days for one reason or another having a rtd, 12 and 4, leaving him 3rd overall. Alex a 9, BFD and 15 to give him 11th and Dan a 22,8 and 18 to be back in 19th overall. Thomas the Swede won, his worst result to count a 5th. Pawel Pawlaczyk a point behind in second, again counting nothing worse than a 5th. Nick unfortunately had to officially take a Polish competitor to task for both rule observance and sportsmanship.
Whilst Nick jumped in the Smart car and drove back to the airport, Alex and Dan packed boats and tent up, ate and left. Drove for 3 hours, slept and drove again to get to the Hook for the afternoon ferry.
A good event that should be experienced if only once. It's a major dinghy event as witnessed by the Olympic sailors who were turning up to compete as we left. There are always whispers that the class is going to be kicked out. That would be a shame. Will we do it again - probably. Next year- not sure yet!
Full Results (pdf format)
Can't find any OK pics on the Kiel Week website. Anyone seen any? Dave