Top Offshore Events during Kieler Woche 2008
Kieler Woche 2008 (June 21 to June 29, 2008) will host the “maiden” X-35 European Championship (X-35-EM), - a highlight for offshore sailors of this popular one-design keelboat class! “We are delighted that the International Class Association of the X-35 one design yachts, built by the X-Yachts company in Haderslev
Denmark, again voted in favour of Kiel” commented Eckhard von der Mosel, Kieler Woche race officer of all offshore races.
The inaugural European Championship will take place from Wednesday, June 25th to Sunday, June 29th, 2008. “Of course we look forward receiving many entries from last year’s teams which competed in the X-35 Worlds during Kieler Woche 2007” states Sven Christensen, Manager of Point of Sailing Marketing. Last year the majority of teams participating in the X-35 Worlds (35 entries from 8 nations) complimented the Kieler Woche organisation on a superb regatta and promised to be back in Kiel for the next X-35 highlight.
In 2007 the Dutch team BRS X with skipper Cees Wieringa won the Worlds after 9 races, followed by COOL RUNNING, skipper Mark Richmond as 2nd and HERMES X, skipper Mita Sepp from Estonia as 3rd. Nevertheless, the X-35 Europeans 2008 will be based on strong competition within Germany, e.g. IMMAC X (Christian Soyka/Flensburg, in 2007 7th) and XEN (Thorsten Bastiansen/Flensburg, in 2007 9th overall). “For the 2008 X-35 Europeans’ we expect around 30 entries from NED, NOR, SWE, DEN and EST, - teams from those countries showed their interest even before we had the Notice of Race ready” admitted Eckhard von der Mosel.
The “International German Offshore Championship” (IDM), organized in the in Germany relatively new measurement system “ORC International” will precede the X-35 Europeans. The Offshore Committee of DSV, the German Offshore Association (RVS) and Kieler Woche organisation agreed to introduce the new big boat measurement system ORC International as successor and further development of IMS. However, this agreement is still subject to the approval of the DSV Executive Committee and Council, as it means a rule change for German Championships.
Kiel hosted the IDM already in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2003, and looks forward to organise the 13th issue during Kieler Woche 2008; more than 40 offshore yachts are expected to race and fight in 3 divisions. Top teams from recent years are expected to enter, e.g. the Worldchampion BELUGA, (Plump/Bremen) in IMS I (now ORC International), the Worldchampion CHINOOK (Friedrichsen/Flensburg) in Division II, and triple German Champion in IMS III and IV FROSCHKOENIG (Amlong/Schwedeneck).
Kieler Woche (June 21 to June 29, 2008)
Part I: International Classes: June 21 to June 24.
Part II: Olympic Classes: June 25 to June 29.
Part III: Offshore – divided in 3 sections:
June 21 to June 24 mainly: ORC International and ”IDM under ORC International”.
June 25 to June 29: X-35 Europeans and OneDesign
June 27 to June 29: Yardstick, ORC, and One-Design-Classes
Press contact:
Hermann Hell
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