29er EuroCup 10 at Kieler Woche
by International 29er Class 30 Jun 05:35 NZST
Kiel Week ended on a high note for the young sailors of the 29er class, with Polish teams dominating the podium. Ewa Lewandowska and Krzysztof Krolik led the celebrations, taking the overall Gold medal after a series of thrilling races.
The German brothers Lucas and Moritz Hamm, who were leading the overall Euro Cup standings before the event, put up a strong fight but ultimately finished fourth. The overall Silver medal went to James Crossley and Sam Webb from Great Britain, while Bartosz Zmudzinski and August Sobczak from Poland secured the overall bronze.
"We are very happy. It's great to win here," said victorious helmswoman Ewa Lewandowska. Her crew, Krzysztof Krolik, attributed their success to the joint training of their Polish squad. "We work a lot with eight or nine teams, sailing many regattas together," he explained.
In other categories, the Polish team had more reasons to celebrate. Overall winners Ewa Lewandowska and Krzysztof Krolik also dominated the mixed category, winning with a massive lead of 54 points over Austrian team Eva Truttenberger and Keno Pulte, and Swedish team Selma Hard and Lukas Wolfgang. While the champions celebrated six race wins out of eleven, their competitors had mixed results, ranging from daily wins to 25th place in the fleet of 133 teams.
In the Men's category, the victory went to Great Britain. Overall runners-up James Crossley and Sam Webb topped this category, followed by Poles Bartosz Zmudzinski and August Sobczak, and the German brothers Lucas and Moritz Hamm. The foundation of the British success was a strong performance in the Gold fleet on the final day, with consistent top finishes (3, 1, 2, 5) securing their win.
The top Women's crew were Polish sailors Alicja Tutkowska and Alicja Dampc, who outperformed their club mates Antonia Puchowska and Marianna Gebicka. Both teams hail from Gdynia, gaining confidence for the upcoming European Championships to be held on their home waters next week. The third place in the women's category went to the team from Hong Kong, Emily Polson and Tiffany Mak.
In the Under 17 categories, teams from Germany, Poland, and Switzerland celebrated victories. In the Mixed U17, Amelie Röpke and Ben Seigwasser from Germany took first place. They were followed by Clemence Favrel and Ferdinand Guillemot from France, and Niels Tinnemeier and Luise Schmidt from Germany.
In the Under 17 Men's category, Poland secured first place again with Bartosz Zmudzinski and August Sobczak leading, followed by Lucas and Moritz Hamm from Germany, and Henric Wigforss and William Drakenberg from Sweden.
The Under 17 Women's podium featured winners from three different nations. The Swiss flag flew highest for winners Malena Rüegge and Liv Wicki, followed by Loulou Unkelbach and Jonna Hausberg from the host club, Kiel Yacht Club, who kept a medal at home. Ines Martin-Urda and Natalia Mendez from Spain completed the U17 women's podium in third place.
As the crews wrap up their successful Kiel Week, they now set their sights on the 29er European Championships in Gdynia, Poland, hoping to continue their winning streak.
Full results can be found here.