First Ship home after 33 hours at the finish

A long-distance race in top form, the fastest yacht in luck, and a finish in the light of the setting sun: Around Bornholm presented itself for the boats at the front of the field as exactly what it should be: the highlight for the offshore sailors within the framework of the Warnemünder WocheHowever, not all yachts were lucky. The "Dockenhuden" even suffered a broken mast north of Bornholm. The crew remained unharmed, however, and the yacht was towed to the port of Tejn by rival "Place to be."

After 33 hours and 43 minutes, Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt's "Illbruck" from Greifswald was the first yacht to cross the finish line off Warnemünde on Tuesday evening. And as if the crew hadn't already played enough tricks during the race, they pulled another trump card and were rewarded with the last rays of sunshine of the day as they headed toward the finish line. At 21.48:26 p.m., they finally reached the finish line, leaving their sister ship, the "Ospa," 1 minutes behind. Another 46:XNUMX hours later, the "Störtebeker" from Hamburg crossed the finish line – two seconds past midnight.

Even after a restful night in the harbor, Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt still had a smile on his face. "We were lucky throughout: with the weather, with our decisions, and with the guests on board. After all, we're sailing with a regular crew of seven and seven guests. The atmosphere on board was simply fantastic—really cool," said the skipper.

How quickly the yacht can be maneuvered around the course depends on the guests' commitment and enthusiasm aboard the former ocean racer, which won the 2002 Volvo Ocean Race. Schmidt-Rybandt: "The more the guests get involved, the better we can operate. Here, too, the mild weather played into our hands. We were even able to change the spinnaker in the middle of the night. In worse weather, there would be some discussion about it. But now the answer was: Yes, let's do it!"

But the crew members weren't just treated to a lot of work on board, they also enjoyed some special moments. For example, when the "Illbruck" headed toward the rival in a duel with the "Ospa" off Bornholm, the sun disappearing behind the opponents. "A fantastic sight," said the experienced sailor. A few hours later, the next moment of happiness came at sunrise on the eastern side of Bornholm.

Added to that were the right strategic and tactical decisions. "We didn't want to separate ourselves from the 'Ospa,' so we sailed clockwise around the island. In the end, that was the right choice, even though the routing models didn't agree. Due to the wind shift, it would have been better the other way around. But the wind strength was so favorable. That it worked out is pure luck. No one can predict that."

And fortune continued to be on her side, as the "Illbruck" glided steadily through the lulls while the pursuers stalled. Thus, the leading yacht emerged with a reassuring lead south of Bornholm and, on the return leg toward Warnemünde, had the advantage of a speed advantage on the sharp close-hauled courses.

Although a wind shift off Rügen caused her to lose a few miles to the "Ospa," the title of "first ship here" was no longer seriously threatened. Opportunities for an attack from the pursuers were lacking in the narrow field of action along the southwestern Mecklenburg coast. Thus, Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt and his mixed crew of experienced sailors and guests pressed on toward the approaching evening and a clear victory.

Meanwhile, the crew of the "Dockenhuden" spent the evening and night in Tejn, at the northern tip of Bornholm. The Hamburg-based yacht skippered by Maik Dünnfründ unexpectedly lost its mast after a day at sea in moderate winds. But as the name suggests, Marcus Paap's "place to be" was exactly where she was supposed to be. The Stralsund crew was able to rush to her aid and tow the "Dockenhuden" into the harbor.

The "Place to be" then returned to the location of the mast break and resumed the race. For her efforts, the jury ultimately awarded her a compensation of 4:01 hours for calculating her race time.

The calculated overall result will be determined after all yachts have returned to Warnemünde. However, race director Jan Büttner was still waiting on Wednesday afternoon for several yachts on their way back to the finish line from Bornholm. Things were getting uncomfortable for them in the final miles. A rough sea had built up along Darß, Zingst, and Rügen, and a strong breeze was blowing against them.

These conditions were also responsible for the fact that in the other classes of Warnemünder Woche No races could be completed on Wednesday. The start of the Zoom8 World Championship was postponed by one day, and the final of the European Championship was canceled for the OK dinghies.

Thus, the medal winners for the OK dinghies were decided after six races instead of the planned eight. In a very close decision, the title went to England. The experienced Charlie Cumbley once again claimed the OK European Championship crown. He was followed by the young Canadian Baabii O Flower, tied on points. Only the number of race wins (3 for Cumbley, 2 for Flower) decided the race in favor of experience over the class newcomer from Canada.

The decision for European Championship bronze was just as close. Swede Daniel Björndahl had the better of the two. Like Schwerin's André Budzien, he had 17 points. Both had also achieved a win during the series. But Björndahl had more second-place finishes.

Budzien took the ungrateful fourth place in good spirits: "I'm still happy. We sailed six great races. I was able to improve significantly towards the end. The result is perfectly fine," said Budzien. Looking out at the water, however, he admitted that he himself would have liked to sail again: "Sure, we could have perhaps challenged for the podium again. But it was a good decision not to let the sailors out. A lot of damage might have been done. That doesn't have to happen."

And for Budzien there might still be a chance to win the Warnemünder Woche 2025. He'll be racing in a Finn Dinghy starting Friday. On Thursday, things will be a bit quieter on the course for the time being, but no less high-caliber. While only the Zoom8 and Musto Skiff races are scheduled, the first points for the World Championship (Zoom8) and European Championship (Musto Skiff) will be at stake.