Ian Ainslie, helmsman at the America’s Cup Team Shosholoza, was amazed when he and his South African team arrived at the Baldeneysee in Essen.
The new professional just wanted to refine his match race skills. But now he found himself in this narrow area, these small boats and in these slack conditions.
Race director Peter Hasselmann had to start duels even with the slightest movement of air in order to have a chance to bring the 32 pairings of the preliminary round over the course.
Only when the twelve teams from six nations had prepared for the cancellation of the Grade 3 regatta did the wind set in, which ensured exciting final races in front of numerous enthusiastic spectators.
There was a new edition of the previous year's final Kemmling against Meister, but this time with the opposite outcome. Carsten Kemmling with Peter Stein and Georg Hecht won 2-1 against Stefan Meister, Philipp Semmer and Tosi Stemmer.
Both crews survived their preliminary rounds as winners and were placed straight into the finals. The semifinals had to be canceled due to lack of time.
The Briton Hamilton won the small final for third place ahead of the Dane Viltoft after successfully intervening against an embarrassing formal error.
In the B group of the preliminary round there was a tie for second place, which was only dissolved in favor of the surprise crew around the Berlin helmsman Ernst Meyer.
Meyer sailed the small final and won against the Danish crew on the finish line. He celebrated his third place exuberantly until the Brit answered.
He had found that the sailing instructions regarding the resolution of the tie had been misinterpreted.
The result of the small final was annulled. The Briton sailed against Meyer to break the tie and secured his place in the small final, where he also defeated the Danes.
Schosholoza helmsman Ian Ainslie was seen occasionally shaking his head in amazement. Also because he found it difficult to get the Sportina 600 yachts under control.
He made some good starts and also had good chances in the preliminary round duel with Stefan Meister, who last week celebrated one of his greatest successes in third place in the Grade 1 match race in Poland. In the end he had to be content with ninth place.
Results:
1. Kemmling (Hamburg) 2nd master (Berlin)3. Hamilton (GBR)4. Viltoft (DEN)5. Orel (SLO)5. Meyer (Berlin)7. Tarnacki (POL)7. Horsch (Hamburg)9. Ainslie (RSA)9. Witzmann (Berlin)11. Supan (food11. Baumann (Lake Constance)