Sometimes, there’s only a second between triumph and a premature start — a reality that many ILCA 7 sailors faced on the second day of the 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER, held during the Warnemünder Woche. Fortunately, thanks to the discard rule, which allows sailors to drop their worst result, the disqualifications had only a limited impact on the overall standings.
Due to disqualifications issued by the race committee, some ILCA 7 sailors saw their day cut short. One of them was Denmark’s Johan Schubert DEN, currently fifth overall. After securing a sixth-place finish in the day’s first race, he was forced to retire from the second following a false start. “A false start is always frustrating,” Schubert said. “To be honest, it was a tough day, even though the conditions and racing in the large fleet were enjoyable.” With his focus now on the 2025 ILCA Senior European Championships in August, Schubert is using the Warnemünder Woche as valuable preparation: “The European Championships are the big goal. A top-ten finish there would be fantastic.”
The Germans had reason to cheer. “The wind was a bit up and down, so it wasn’t easy today. But overall, the boys did well,” said national coach Alexander Schlonski. The results backed up his words: Germany’s Julian Hoffmann GER and Ole Schweckendiek GER, two rising stars from Schlonski’s training group, secured first and second place, respectively. Following at a respectable distance was Alexandre Kowalski FRA of France.
For national coach Schlonski, the Warnemünder Woche an important step on the way to the 2025 ILCA Senior European Championships. “We had a training session here beforehand in great conditions. After the Warnemünder Woche we’re off to the European Championships in Marstrand, Sweden. We’ll train there first, then have a short break before the competition”.
Levian Büscher GER has taken the lead in the mixed men’s and women’s ILCA 6 class. The young sailor from Düsseldorf is still fully focused on the junior men’s category this year but plans to step up to the ILCA 7 in 2026. For now, he’s performing impressively with the smaller rig. His current lead was also helped by a challenging day for Denmark’s Anna Munch DEN. After a solid third-place finish in the first race, she struggled at the start of the second, got tangled up with two other competitors, and had to do penalty turns—leaving her trailing the fleet. “I was probably 400 meters behind,” she said. “Now it’s about improving my starts—that’s the main focus. But I also want to sharpen my downwind technique. This is a great opportunity to train in a large fleet.”
Following a fourth-place finish at the World Championships, Munch now has her sights set on a medal at the 2025 ILCA Senior European Championships. “I’ve got good speed at the moment, and if I sail well, a medal should be within reach.” She currently sits in second place, just ahead of her teammate Mads Wegener Larsen DEN, also from Denmark.
Many of the sailors in the ILCA 4 class have only recently transitioned into the youth category and still have a long journey ahead before reaching top-tier international events. For them, a regatta like the Warnemünder Woche stands out as a seasonal highlight, drawing competitors from 17 nations. Reflecting this international appeal, the top ten is notably diverse, with seven countries represented. Leading the field is Estonia’s Robert Kesküla EST, followed by Germany’s Anneli Stengel GER, competing on home waters in Warnemünde, and Ireland’s Rory Brennan-Hobbs IRL in third.
Full results here:
A total of 302 sailors from 32 countries are competing in Warnemünde in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes.
Two new races are scheduled for today. The championships will run until tomorrow, Tuesday 8th.
Report by Agustín Argüelles – EurILCA | Photos by Pepe Hartmann – Warnemünder Woche.
