The seven Maxi One Designs raced three up-and-down courses today. Ludde Ingvall’s Skandia won the last one and still leads the Kieler Woche. French boat, Le Défi Bouygues Telecom Transiciel won the first two but Skandia sailed easily in the light winds of the last one. Tomorrow morning, the fleet will compete for the last course of the Kiel week. With already four races sailed, the competition is validated and Ludde Ingvall seems on the way for a new victory.

This morning at the Kieler Yacht Club, all the skippers were looking at the grey Baltic sky. No wind was blowing in the Kiel bay and everybody was wondering when there would be enough wind in the race area. Tactician and navigator aboard French maxi, Jean-Yves Bernot hoped for a bright interval in the sky to let thermic winds strong the synoptic. “This race area is like a lake in a oceanic place” he explained before the fleet left its pontoon. The all day racing conditions confirmed his words.

Le Défi Bouygues Telecom Transiciel wins first two races

On the first race, French maxi best run the light winds and sailed upwind no faster than 4,5 knots. Downwind legs were slower with some 1.5 knots speeds. Le Défi took profit of her top navigator advice, and led the race from start to finish. In the second course, the same team made the same job and won again with a strong lead ahead of RF Yachting, the New-Zealand team.

The third race saw a complete move of the arriving classification. Ross Field (NZL) who rounded third the first windward buoy made strong tactical errors and finished seven. Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghimax (SUI) made a constant progress and finished second. The French crew who was first at the first buoy sailed slowly and let the victory to Ludde Ingvall’s Skandia. The European entry then assured his lead in the Kieler Woche. If there is only one race tomorrow, following the race instructions, he has already won the second event of the Adecco World Championship.