Tatjana Pokorny. Most fan eyes in Kiel and on the screens on the Internet are focussed on the battle between the two Laser up-and-comers, who are tied on points at the top of the field after the second of five regatta days and five races. His counterattack in stormy winds of around four Beaufort was impressive: With two race wins, the year-old came out on top - level on points with Buhl.
The reverse is also true, of course. In the meantime, we have both learnt from each other. Philipp sails more results-orientated, I sometimes take calculated risks in a race. It's perfect that they can train and sail together at a high level. This is exactly how it has been working very, very well and successfully for us in Team GBR for a long time. We have a handful of world-class people in the Finn dinghy alone who make each other strong.
I also benefit from that. In other Olympic classes, however, there is a lack of excitement in front of Kiel. Due to a lack of numbers, only six of the ten Olympic disciplines will be contested for Kiel Week victories. The fields - for example with twelve boats in the women's - are frighteningly small. In total, only boats with sailors will be sailing in the first Olympic half of Kiel Week.
The well-known Olympic candidates are already training in the Olympic area off Weymouth, while some of the German national sailing team are still gaining regatta practice at their home event. The German Olympic hopefuls Tobias Schadewaldt and Hannes Baumann from Kiel are still looking for their form, but after an unsuccessful start they moved up to third place with good performances on the second day.
Things were even stormier than for the dinghies off Kiel-Schilksee on the racecourse on Sunday. Sea course manager Eckard von der Mosel reported: "The start under spinnaker was already furious in five to six winds with the first sun shooters. There was real excitement in the fleet. And then two yachts shot out of the field - you have to experience that: The two footers "Varuna" and "Info AG - Info CS" were so fast at 20, 22 knots that I couldn't keep up with my motorboat Ben Ainslie praises German laser sailors.
