Start der Laser Radial mit Teilnehmern aus der ganzen Welt. Image copyright Peta Hartmann
by Nadja Arp
Steady rain and gusting winds afflicted the organizers, participants and audience on the kick-off weekend of the 74th WARNEMUENDER WOCHE. After a huge part of the program both ahore and offshore had to be called off on Saturday, the weekend ended with a children’s day and culture while the sun was shining. Eventually, also the sailors were allowed to hit the waterways: after the forced stormy Saturday off, the fog finally lifted on early Sunday afternoon and the almost 700 sailors of the eight boat classes of the first part of the WARNEMUENDER WOCHE got started at last.
"We brave wind and rain – for the sake of the WARNEMUENDER WOCHE", with this pithy words Jürgen Seidel, Minister of Economics, Labor and Tourism of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, officially opened the 74th WARNEMUENDER WOCHE in a short and concise way on Saturday morning.
In particular, the participants and fans of the Niegen Uemgang implemented this idea and rebelled against the adverse conditions.
Schon auf den ersten Regatten zeigte Franziska Goltz. Image copyright Peta Hartmann
Franziska Goltz opened the 74th WARNEMUENDER WOCHE with a classical start-finish victory as she crossed the finish line first: "The weather is pretty crazy. Now there are waves’ too high but too little wind – but I am pleased with my great performance", the sailor from Schwerin looked back on the first race of the day for the female Olympic boat class Laser Radial.
The more than 30 young surfers of the BIC Techno class’ International German Youth Championship (IDJM) were also delighted about finally getting started: "We have to do at least four races in order to do the Championship. I am optimistic about achieving this – up to now we’ve finished two races", Steffen Kinzl, the person in charge on the surfer track Alpha, explained.
Die eleganten H-Boote freuten sich endlich ihre Warnemünder Woche auszusegeln. Image copyright Peta Hartmann
"Finally, the sailing can begin", Uli Finckh, Head of the Racing Committee, rejoices on the afternoon of the second day of regattas. At 2.30 p.m., the German Meteorological Service gave the all-clear signal and Finckh took the flag of the starting delay off the mast and sent all the sailors offshore immediately. "Daylight hours are longer; we want to try to make up for the missed races", Uli Finckh introduces the idea of a long evening at sea.
The audience ashore also showed some accumulated needs as it was jam-packed on the promenade and the Alter Strom on the afternoon.
Philipp Kadelbach unterstrich seine Favoritenrolle bei den Streamlines. Image copyright Peta Hartmann
The participants and spectators of the traditional Niegen Uemgang proved themselves to be weatherproof on Saturday morning:
"Everyone can do it with the sun’s out, but we walk even in rain", Inge Regenthal of the Warnemuender Verein cheerfully explained on Saturday. Also Lutz Scheibe of the "Machern", organizers of the Waschzuberrennen, thought: "The event 2011 is definitely entering the history books". Four tubs were flooded already before the official start of the race, six brave tub teams lined up delayed to do the show part in front of 800 spectators, but in the end they were defeated by the bad weather conditions.
They were eagerly waiting to score and so tough: after the sand handballers had to call off their tournament completely on Saturday, they tried to make up for the games they missed yesterday in the 17th beach handball days by starting again, this time with abbreviated games. But due to the heavy rain showers and the resulting flooding of the sand courts, all further games were cancelled at noon.
Endlich ist das extrem schlechte Wetter vorüber und die Regatten können beginnen. Image copyright Peta Hartmann
Program ashore (outline) 4th of July, 2011
3-3.40 p.m. "Die Aufklärer" Association for disabled and rehabilitation sports in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / at the stage at the
4 p.m. Award ceremony RS:X, BIC Techno in the NDR-OZ media
8 p.m. Liveshow NDR 1 Radio MV "Hansa Stammtisch" in the NDR-OZ media tent
Program offshore 4th of July, 2011
10 a.m. Skippers Meeting hanseboot Rund
11 a.m. Start: Laser Europa Cup, H_Boat, Streamline, BIC Techno, RS:X
1 p.m. Start: hanseboot Rund Bornholm
Warnemünder Woche
