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Kiel is the destination & goal

Kiel is the destination & goal

Huge anticipation and high expectations - Numerous entries after opening of the registration portal - For the first time also for smaller yachts

The Notice of Race for the ORC World Championship in Kiel (August 4-12, 2023) has been made, the registration portal is open, and the entires are coming in – unusually fast: Just three days after opening the official registration portal, the organizing Kieler Yacht-Club registered 38 yachts from 10 nations. Although those responsible are still a long way short of the self-imposed benchmark set in Kiel 2014 with 151 entries from 15 nations, sailors are not exactly known for early registrations. Normally, it is this inertia in registrations that makes planning rather difficult for the organisers. Perhaps the 2023 World Championship will set a new benchmark here too. “We are encouraged by the start in registration morale for the ORC World Championship. We now hope that it will continue like this,” says ORC Vice President Eckhard von der Mosel, who, as in 2014, is the Head of Organization for the ORC World Championship in Kiel.

The lot has decided: "Kira" from Estonia will participate in the 2023 ORC World Championship off Kiel without an entry fee. ORC Vice President and Head of Organisation of the World Championship off Kiel, Eckhard von der Mosel, drew as winner Tauno Telviks with his Corby 33. Photo: Kiel Yacht Club

“I’m looking forward to the World Championship,” says RVS Chairman Bertil Balser (Hamburg), speaking from the heart of many German sailors. The World Championship in their own country has long been topic number one in the German offshore scene. “No matter whether with experienced crews or numerous new projects: Kiel is the destination,” says Balser, whose employer North Sails made a commitment to Kiel early on and, like X-Yachts, is a sponsor of the World Championship. We will accompany sailing in Kiel from the MaiOR to Kiel Week to the World Championships, explains Balser, adding: “Register for the World Championships now and start the campaign, because time is running out.”

This year's world champion at Porto Cervo (Italy) in category B and world champions from 2021 in Estonia, the "Essentia44" (Marcin Sutkowski/Grand Soleil 44 P) from Romania has already entered and is one of the co-favourites. Photo: Felix Diemer/ALEXELA ORC WORLDS 2021

In addition to the well-known classes A , B and C, the category D will be announced for the first time. “With this we want to address smaller boats that are not allowed to participate in the actual world championship. This is youth work”, says ORC Vice President Eckhard von der Mosel, who thus also gives the smaller yachts, which are not only widespread in Germany, the opportunity to participate. Especially the German Offshore Regatta Association (RVS) and the chairman of the DSV Sailing Committee and World Championship Race Director, Eckart Reinke, had wanted and pushed for this expansion. “Thanks to this expansion to include Group D, I think a starter number of 150 and possibly even higher is possible”, says Balser, who even hopes for 170 participants: “This year, the World Championship will revive the German offshore scene enormously. Whether MaiOR, Kiel Week and maybe also the IDM in Travemünde will benefit from the World Championship in Germany. In 2024, it is then a matter of maintaining this enthusiasm. That won’t be a foregone conclusion then.” In 2024, the New York Yacht Club will host the Offshore World Championship in Newport (USA), the stakes for European participants will be high.

Won the race into the entry list for the ORC World Championship 2023 in category A: "X-Day" (Watermann/Hückstädt/GP42). Photo: www.segelbilder.de

In addition to the expected participants from the Baltic Sea countries, this year’s World Championship Porto Cervo (Italy) in category B and World Champions from 2021 in Estonia, the “Essentia44” (Marcin Sutkowski/Grand Soleil 44 P) from Romania, and the World Championship third in category C, the “Flying Dolphin” (Willem Ellemmet/Dufour 40) from the Netherlands are already on the starting list.

Women first: The "Rubix" (Eshana Müller/Hamburger SC/X-332) was among the first entries for the 2023 ORC World Championship in Category C. Photo: www.segelbilder.de

The “Kira” (Tauno Telviks/Corby 33) had luck of the draw. The Estonian yacht was one of 128 yachts from 16 nations in the pre-registration list, from which a yacht was drawn that does not have to pay an entry fee. “Kira” will be sailed by the OIXIO Sailing Team, which has only been together since the end of 2020. Originally, the team consisted of employees from the Estonian IT infrastructure company OIXIO, whose crew had no sailing experience except for skipper Tauno Telviks. They started in the smallest ORC group in Estonia (ORC IV) on a 1982 Maxi Fenix with the goal of reaching the top within two years. In 2022 the team switched to the Corby 33 and sailed successfully in the Estonian ORC II class. Now Tauno Telviks, who was named sailor of the year in Estonia this year, is aiming for new goals in his first World Championship participation with the Corby 33.

The first entry for the ORC World Championship came from Bavaria: the "Linje". Photo: gel

The first entry for the ORC World Championship came from Bavaria: the “Linje”. The young crew around skipper Jan-Class Freienstein is entering new territory. The Augsburg crew is made up of young up-and-coming sailors who have previously competed in dinghy races. The main sailing area for the dinghy sailors has so far been the Ammersee. The “Linje” (Dehler 38) has its home port in Heiligenhafen. In Kiel, the Franconians will compete with the best in 2023.

Preliminary schedule of the ORC World Championship, August 4-12, 2023:

  • Friday, August 4 to Saturday, August 5: Registration & Measurement.
  • Sunday, August 6: Practice Race & Opening Ceremony
  • Monday, August 7 to Friday, August 11: Races
  • Saturday, August 12: Final Races & Prize Giving Ceremony

Text: Hermann Hell