The Travemünde Week 2023 offered a wide range of wind and weather conditions for the approximately 1500 sailors in 500 boats. The rapid alternation of calm and stormy gusts, of heavy showers and sun with thermal influences demanded quick action and a feeling for the weather developments from the race organizers on the ten regatta courses.
Overall race director Anderl Denecke gave his teams on the tracks a good report card for having mastered these challenges: “I have rarely experienced weather with these rapidly changing conditions in Travemünde. But we were able to sail many races for all regattas – especially for the championship classes – so we offered a strong program. Very worthy masters were chosen at global, European and German level. The race director teams on the tracks really made the most of the opportunities.” It is in the nature of things that individual races had to be cancelled due to wind changes. “In the end, however, the best athletes prevailed. Of course, there are always individual sailors who are not satisfied with decisions. Overall, there is great satisfaction, we have received a lot of thanks from the coaches.”
Anderl Denecke also attributes the good work on the water to the fact that the teams are getting better and better attuned: “We have been relying on continuity in the race director crews for years. Teams have been found that work together constantly. The cooperation between the Lübeck Yacht Club and the NRV Hamburg and the Zurich Yacht Club as joint organisers is paying off.”
Denecke also attested to the high quality of the athletes: “At the Junior World Championships of the 49er and 49erFX, we had top people at the start, some of whom travel on to The Hague for the World Championships of the elite. The Formula 18 fleet is not quite as homogeneous for the World Cup, but at the top we had athletes with Olympic experience.
And the Worlds of the J/22 also offered high-class sport, even if the focus of the fleet is definitely on a good community and not just on the regatta.”
A small drop of bitterness to the TW was the weak participation at the International German Championship on the Seebahn. “For the future, we should consider whether not only the demanding Formula ORC will be used internationally, but also the simplified Formula ORC club.
Then the potential for starting fields is greater. The ball is in the court of the class association and the committee for sea sailing at the DSV,” says Denecke.
In the meantime, the focus is already on the upcoming Travemünde Week, for which the organization of high-class championships will be discussed with various class associations.
