This duel was on everyone's lips at Kiel Week 2013: Robert Scheidt vs. Philipp Buhl
What the other two European World Cup regattas can do, Kiel is now demonstratively doing even without World Cup status. This year, the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines have already offered up to 60,000 euros in prize money.
With the support of the state government, the "Prize money of the State of Schleswig-Holstein" was suspended in the same amount as at the European World Cups in front of Hyères and Weymouth. The winners receive 3,000 euros, the second-placed 2,000 euros and the third-placed 1,000 euros. "We are very pleased that we can already set an exclamation point in the sailing world for the Kiel Week 2015 with the award of 'Prize money from the State of Schleswig-Holstein'," said Prime Minister Torsten Albig.
The campaign should not remain a "one-day fly", but is planned for the duration of Hamburg's application phase with Kiel as its sailing partner for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. In addition, numerous other measures are to follow with which the worldwide sailing community is to be made aware of Kiel as a high-performance venue for top-class regattas.
The 49er European champions Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel are among the Kieler Woche favorites in the battle for the prize money
Philipp Buhl expressly welcomed the award of prize money: "This is a very good step and will definitely increase the appeal of the Kiel Week." He himself, who has won the Kieler Woche in the laser for the past three years, will unfortunately not be able to take part this year. "Our world championship will take place shortly after the Kiel Week in Kingston, Canada, and we will train there in advance, so unfortunately it won't work for me," said the greatest Olympic hope of the German national sailing team.
But Germany's leading 49er sailors - the European champions Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel as well as the recently strong Justus Schmidt and Max Böhme from Kiel - will start at the Kieler Woche. Max Böhme said: "If prize money is suspended, it's a completely different category. It has been around in other sports for a long time, but it has been missing in Olympic sport so far. Of course, you have the drive to win even without prize money, but that's how good ones become Services upgraded again."