We had it all...

Last weekend we have sailed a fantastic regatta in the inner Bay of Kiel, just opposite the big shipyard HDW. The regatta, so called "Inshore Race Meeting" had been well organized by the "Academic Sailing Club" of Kiel and all the students involved did an amazing job. Not only the race-management on two different courses had been excellent but also the catering was outstanding. Exactly as promised to me by my friends, who had attended the regatta last year in it´s first edition. I think, that nobody would have believed that already this year we would have three 18 footer and flying Moths at the starting line. (All not from the north of Germany) Very impressive and already worth the trip to Kiel. I started in the YS group 2 as we were only 3 Seggerlings. With us two J24 but boats from the organizing club. Several dinghies of mixed colour and our friends with the amazingly fast SZ-Skiff. The J24 are nearly unbeatable with their YS number but also, they did a good job sailing the shifting winds in the harbour. I managed 3rd place with Kerstin following in 4th position and the SZ-Skiff in fifth. Klaus, another Seggerling, finished 6th. On the water the three of us had very close racing with positions changing, match racing tactics and lot´s of fun. Though it had not been funny in the first moment to be beaten on the line by a mere 30cm in the first race and coming 3rd in the second race. After swallowing this and getting my smile back it got better with two wins in the afternoon. Partying was great and somehow the students have got the crazy idea that your intake of drinks on the Saturday night would weight your score for Sunday racing. Gladly Sunday racing (independent long distance race from Saturday) had been called due to high winds and the pricegiving was based on the evenings result alone. Here a young women won with an intake of 217g of "who knows" and beat all the boys. Well done is not really what I would like to say.

The pictures shall tell you a bit about the racing and wet your appetite for the 3rd edition of the "Inshore Race Meeting" in Kiel in 2007. From top to bottom.
Pic 1: Flying Moth,
Pic 2: Formula 18 against IACC Yacht
Pic 3: 18 Footer against IACC Yacht before start of separate race.
Pic 4: 14 Footer flying
Pic 5: Sailing Journal´s editor, Tom Körber in the LV style weather mark. Champagne bottel holders missing
Pic 6: Moth against Cruiseship background