Sinem Kurtbay (TUR) leading in the light winds.  In November she heads to Istanbul to coach the new 29er fleet.

Optimist turned 29er Youth Worlds sailor, Sinem Kurtbay took to the 29erXX for the first time and nearly took the championship, leading up until the final race.  Denmark’s top 29er team, Ida Marie Baad and Marie Olsen kept it close the whole regatta clenching the win in the final race.  The Danish duo won the inaugural German 29erXX National Championship by 2 points.

Results were tight across the 12-boat fleet, the German father-daughter team of Tamara and Wolfgang Huber won the final race to take 3^rd place over premier Italian women’s team Ottavia Raggio and Guiditta Colombi who finished 4^th.   Sailors from 6 countries (GER, DEN, SWE, USA, ITA and TUR) made up an even spread of women’s, mixed, and men’s teams, with 2 father-daughter teams and 1-father-son. Lady helms were 4 out of the top 5 finishers.  (Girls took the 29er fleet championship also, Lotta and Jule Goerge of Germany winning the 36-boat fleet!)

Despite the narrow defeat, Kurtbay exclaimed, “It’s great to be back sailing!”  This past year she has taken a break from competing for her studies in Copenhagen.  After her involvement in 29er Youth Worlds she found that she didn’t quite “fit” into any of the Olympic classes and has spent time studying and sailing in a local 49er fleet, “just for fun”.

The Turkish Optimist champ can’t wait to return to Turkey to introduce skiff sailing.  She heads there this November to coach the newest 29er fleet.

“All my friends back home [Istanbul] have been so excited about 29ers and 49ers.  They have asked me so much about it, like how fast it is – and how cool it is!” says Kurtbay.  “When they learned I was sailing 29ers and 49ers I got posts on my Facebook from my Turkish sailing friends saying ‘49ers are my dreamboat!’”

Skiff sailing has reinvigorated Turkish youth sailing.  The Hoog Yelken Funclub is the first Turkish sailing club to take on the 29er, and has launched a full program of “Skiffs 101” for the kids, parents and local coaches.  The new Turkish 29er class will also be on the European regatta circuit for the 2011 season.  The excitement can be tracked on their Facebook group of over 1,000 members where new photos and videos of 29er training go up every week.

Many thank yous to the German 29er and 49er Associations for hosting the 29erXX, and the Herrschinger Segel Club for putting on a superbly run event.  Also, thank you to Steinlechner and Bootswerft sailing company and Jess Segelsports for all their hard work developing the German 29er fleets and supporting the event. 

Race Committee watches an exciting finish of the 49ers, while 29erXX's head to the leeward mark and 29ers make their final upwind

Anne and Martina Schwarz navigate a crowded startline

Ida Marie Baad and Marie Olsen salvage a close call

Heading into the leeward mark on Amersee with Alps looming in the background

Photos courtesy of Christian Fries of Freeze-Images - click to see more images from the regatta.

Regatta reports and more images also on the Herrschinger Segel Club website.