The 2.4mR Inclusive World Championship (July 28 to August 3) came to an end with a day without wind and no further races. After nine completed races, it was clear what had been on the cards throughout the regatta: Heiko Kröger successfully defended his World Championship title and won the Open Class for the third time and the 14th time at a Para World Championship. His long-time rival Megan Pascoe from Great Britain had to settle for third place. Second place went to Christoph Trömer from Stade. Italy's Antonio Squizzato and Davide di Maria completed the podium in the 2.4mR Para World Championship. A total of 85 athletes from 18 nations took part, 21 of whom also competed in the Para class.
The 2.4mR Inclusive World Championship 2024 was characterized by a great atmosphere among the athletes, exciting races on the water, but also by not quite easy sailing conditions with weak, often shifty winds. The fear that the wind might let the sailors down completely hovered over everything. Fortunately, this only happened on the last day of racing, when there were already enough races in the results list for a world championship ranking. However, the active members of the gold fleet in particular would have liked to have used the day to possibly improve their performance.
This is particularly true for para-sailor Megan Pascoe, who is used to usually winning at least the silver medal at 2.4mR World Championships. Up until the penultimate race, she seemed certain to do so in Kiel, but a 15th place in the last race of the World Championship saw her drop back to bronze. "Of course I would have been happy if we had sailed two more races on Saturday, because then we would have had a second discard, but it's okay as it is. That's how it is sometimes in sailing. I'm happy that I've always been on the podium at the World Championships since 2018 and I am in Kiel too. That's the main thing," says Pascoe, taking a sporting approach and emphasizing that it was good racing and fair sailing. "The World Championship was a nice gathering of the class. We got to see Kiel from a different perspective, normally we know it wet with high waves," says the Brit with a grin. Besides, the World Championship would always be a good excuse to meet up with 2.4mR friends. "It's always great when so many 2.4mR sailors from all over the world come together. You meet lots of old friends and new, younger sailors. The mix and the good athmosphere amongst the sailors are what make the class. It's always fun," says Pascoe.
One sailor who was happy that no more races could be sailed on the final day is Christoph Trömer (Plauer Hai-Live e.V.), who never dreamed of winning the silver medal at the World Championship ahead of Megan Pascoe. "Things are going extremely well for me this year, first at Kiel Week with sixth place and now here, where the whole world's best are sailing. I'm super happy to have come second," said a delighted Trömer, who competed at the World Championships together with his wife Sabine (16th) and his son Tim (43rd). "I became German champion in the class in Schwerin in 2008, was immediately infected and have been sailing 2.4mR ever since. My son Tim caught it after a trial sail in the class, and my wife watched the 2019 World Championships in Genoa, was thrilled and has been in the 2.4mR keelboat ever since. With a trailer specially built for three boats, there are now usually three of us at the regattas," says the sailor, explaining how his family got into sailing in the 2.4mR class. "It's possible to win against Heiko, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Everyone boils with water, except Heiko," says Trömer with a laugh at the end, commenting on Heiko Kröger's victory.
Kröger (Segeberger Segel-Club) himself had of course hoped to successfully defend the World Championship title on his home spot, and he did so with a clear lead over the rest of the fleet. "I was pretty happy with my speed. I hadn't sailed a regatta in light winds before this year, we had strong winds everywhere and now little wind. I thought it was great that it still went so well ad hoc. On the penultimate day, the conditions made the races extremely difficult and tricky and hard work for the brain. A cold slowed me down a bit, but I was able to forget about it while sailing," the successful para-sailor summed up. Kröger is due to change classes for the next regattas of the season. For the German Championships, among other things, he will switch to the OK dinghy, in which he has been active in parallel for the past quarter of a year.
In view of his clear lead over the rest of the World Championship fleet, Kröger had decided not to go out on the water on the final day, but to withdraw. He briefly summarizes why he made this decision: "You never know what will happen. There might be a wuling at the buoy, I might hit someone's boat and the jury might throw me out with a DNE (disqualification that cannot be canceled, editor's note). Afterwards, you're annoyed about the narrowly lost title. It's smarter to withdraw from the last race if you're already sure of winning. That has nothing to do with arrogance."
As President of the International 2.4mR Class Association, Kröger's summary of the World Championship is very positive: "It was a super successful event all round. We had light winds, but that's also part of sailing. We had nine good races. The atmosphere was great and the evening program was well received."
At the 2.4mR Para World Championship, two Italians follow Heiko Kröger on the podium: Antonio Squizzato with silver and his teammate Davide di Maria in bronze. "I enjoy sailing in Kiel every time, and it's always different. This time it was difficult because of the wind and I'm not so happy because I made a few mistakes. Nevertheless, it was a great event with so many competitors," says the Garda. The podium is always within his grasp, even in the Open Class, and he would love to finally achieve it. In Kiel, it at least worked out in the Para classification. And if next year's World Championships are held on his home spot, Lake Garda, the chances of another podium finish there are certainly good for him.
This also applies to Davide di Maria, who also trains on Lake Garda. "I'm happy about Para bronze. Although I came second at the World Championships in Finland in 2023, the level of performance was much higher here. Sailing in Kiel was tricky with lots of wind shifts and less wind than usual. I also made a few mistakes, but that's the only way to learn," he says, looking on the bright side. He also enjoyed the evening program with a dinner for all participants and a raffle. "I won German beer in the raffle. When I get home, I'll first show my mother the beer I won and then the World Cup trophy," he says with a laugh.
Satisfaction regarding the World Championship is not only among the athletes, but also among the race committee. "Thank goodness the wind forecast wasn't right, so we were able to hold nine good races, which nobody would have thought beforehand. On the first day of the gold and silver fleet, we had to change the course in part due to the wind conditions, but in the end we had three good races in seven to eight knots, sometimes even over ten knots. On the final day, it quickly became clear outside on the regatta course that fair racing would no longer have been possible. We received a lot of positive feedback from the sailors that we completed the races quickly and without much delay in between. It was an all-round successful event," said Stephan Giesen, Chief Race Officer of the World Championship.
In addition to the medals and prizes for first to third place in the Open Class and the Para World Championships, a number of special prizes were also awarded at the award ceremony. The Youth Trophy at the Para World Championships for the best sailor under the age of 30 went to the Italian Davide di Maria (6th overall and 3rd in the Para classification), while the prize for the best NOD boat (Norlin One Design) went to Heiko Kröger.
In the open class, the "Woman's Trophy" went to third-placed Megan Pascoe. The "Master's Trophy" for the first participant aged 55 and over and the "Queen Silvia's Cup" for the best para-sailor went to Heiko Kröger, who was also presented with the "World Cup Trophy", a challenge trophy from 1989, as the overall winner.
The "Grand Master's Trophy" for the best sailor aged 65 and over went to Hans Asklund from Sweden (born in 1943), who came eighth overall. The "Rookie Trophy" went to 14-year-old Maxi Grupe from Bavaria./p>
Hauke Berndt, 1st Chairman of the organizing Kieler Yacht-Club (KYC), thanked everyone involved in the organization of the World Championship. Alke Voss, City Councillor for the Environment, Climate Protection and Mobility, then spoke. "We are proud that we have great clubs like the Kieler Yacht-Club in Kiel, which organize events of this quality," said Voss, praising the KYC. She emphasized the inclusive character of the World Championship and the good athmosphere in the 2.4mR class. "We had a great week, a great organizing team, great race management and beautiful competition conditions, even though it was only a light wind, but that's natural sport," said Heiko Kröger in his role as President of the International 2.4mR Class. As a surprise, Canadian para-sailor Bruce Millar, representing the International Class, gave Hauke Berndt a 2.4 flag signed by the World Championship participants. The 2.4mR Inclusive World Championship ended with a dinner together.
Text: Katrin Heidemann
results
The 2.4mR Inclusive World Championship 2024 was characterized by a great atmosphere among the athletes, exciting races on the water, but also by not quite easy sailing conditions with weak, often shifty winds. The fear that the wind might let the sailors down completely hovered over everything. Fortunately, this only happened on the last day of racing, when there were already enough races in the results list for a world championship ranking. However, the active members of the gold fleet in particular would have liked to have used the day to possibly improve their performance.
This is particularly true for para-sailor Megan Pascoe, who is used to usually winning at least the silver medal at 2.4mR World Championships. Up until the penultimate race, she seemed certain to do so in Kiel, but a 15th place in the last race of the World Championship saw her drop back to bronze. "Of course I would have been happy if we had sailed two more races on Saturday, because then we would have had a second discard, but it's okay as it is. That's how it is sometimes in sailing. I'm happy that I've always been on the podium at the World Championships since 2018 and I am in Kiel too. That's the main thing," says Pascoe, taking a sporting approach and emphasizing that it was good racing and fair sailing. "The World Championship was a nice gathering of the class. We got to see Kiel from a different perspective, normally we know it wet with high waves," says the Brit with a grin. Besides, the World Championship would always be a good excuse to meet up with 2.4mR friends. "It's always great when so many 2.4mR sailors from all over the world come together. You meet lots of old friends and new, younger sailors. The mix and the good athmosphere amongst the sailors are what make the class. It's always fun," says Pascoe.
One sailor who was happy that no more races could be sailed on the final day is Christoph Trömer (Plauer Hai-Live e.V.), who never dreamed of winning the silver medal at the World Championship ahead of Megan Pascoe. "Things are going extremely well for me this year, first at Kiel Week with sixth place and now here, where the whole world's best are sailing. I'm super happy to have come second," said a delighted Trömer, who competed at the World Championships together with his wife Sabine (16th) and his son Tim (43rd). "I became German champion in the class in Schwerin in 2008, was immediately infected and have been sailing 2.4mR ever since. My son Tim caught it after a trial sail in the class, and my wife watched the 2019 World Championships in Genoa, was thrilled and has been in the 2.4mR keelboat ever since. With a trailer specially built for three boats, there are now usually three of us at the regattas," says the sailor, explaining how his family got into sailing in the 2.4mR class. "It's possible to win against Heiko, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Everyone boils with water, except Heiko," says Trömer with a laugh at the end, commenting on Heiko Kröger's victory.
Kröger (Segeberger Segel-Club) himself had of course hoped to successfully defend the World Championship title on his home spot, and he did so with a clear lead over the rest of the fleet. "I was pretty happy with my speed. I hadn't sailed a regatta in light winds before this year, we had strong winds everywhere and now little wind. I thought it was great that it still went so well ad hoc. On the penultimate day, the conditions made the races extremely difficult and tricky and hard work for the brain. A cold slowed me down a bit, but I was able to forget about it while sailing," the successful para-sailor summed up. Kröger is due to change classes for the next regattas of the season. For the German Championships, among other things, he will switch to the OK dinghy, in which he has been active in parallel for the past quarter of a year.
In view of his clear lead over the rest of the World Championship fleet, Kröger had decided not to go out on the water on the final day, but to withdraw. He briefly summarizes why he made this decision: "You never know what will happen. There might be a wuling at the buoy, I might hit someone's boat and the jury might throw me out with a DNE (disqualification that cannot be canceled, editor's note). Afterwards, you're annoyed about the narrowly lost title. It's smarter to withdraw from the last race if you're already sure of winning. That has nothing to do with arrogance."
As President of the International 2.4mR Class Association, Kröger's summary of the World Championship is very positive: "It was a super successful event all round. We had light winds, but that's also part of sailing. We had nine good races. The atmosphere was great and the evening program was well received."
At the 2.4mR Para World Championship, two Italians follow Heiko Kröger on the podium: Antonio Squizzato with silver and his teammate Davide di Maria in bronze. "I enjoy sailing in Kiel every time, and it's always different. This time it was difficult because of the wind and I'm not so happy because I made a few mistakes. Nevertheless, it was a great event with so many competitors," says the Garda. The podium is always within his grasp, even in the Open Class, and he would love to finally achieve it. In Kiel, it at least worked out in the Para classification. And if next year's World Championships are held on his home spot, Lake Garda, the chances of another podium finish there are certainly good for him.
This also applies to Davide di Maria, who also trains on Lake Garda. "I'm happy about Para bronze. Although I came second at the World Championships in Finland in 2023, the level of performance was much higher here. Sailing in Kiel was tricky with lots of wind shifts and less wind than usual. I also made a few mistakes, but that's the only way to learn," he says, looking on the bright side. He also enjoyed the evening program with a dinner for all participants and a raffle. "I won German beer in the raffle. When I get home, I'll first show my mother the beer I won and then the World Cup trophy," he says with a laugh.
Satisfaction regarding the World Championship is not only among the athletes, but also among the race committee. "Thank goodness the wind forecast wasn't right, so we were able to hold nine good races, which nobody would have thought beforehand. On the first day of the gold and silver fleet, we had to change the course in part due to the wind conditions, but in the end we had three good races in seven to eight knots, sometimes even over ten knots. On the final day, it quickly became clear outside on the regatta course that fair racing would no longer have been possible. We received a lot of positive feedback from the sailors that we completed the races quickly and without much delay in between. It was an all-round successful event," said Stephan Giesen, Chief Race Officer of the World Championship.
In addition to the medals and prizes for first to third place in the Open Class and the Para World Championships, a number of special prizes were also awarded at the award ceremony. The Youth Trophy at the Para World Championships for the best sailor under the age of 30 went to the Italian Davide di Maria (6th overall and 3rd in the Para classification), while the prize for the best NOD boat (Norlin One Design) went to Heiko Kröger.
In the open class, the "Woman's Trophy" went to third-placed Megan Pascoe. The "Master's Trophy" for the first participant aged 55 and over and the "Queen Silvia's Cup" for the best para-sailor went to Heiko Kröger, who was also presented with the "World Cup Trophy", a challenge trophy from 1989, as the overall winner.
The "Grand Master's Trophy" for the best sailor aged 65 and over went to Hans Asklund from Sweden (born in 1943), who came eighth overall. The "Rookie Trophy" went to 14-year-old Maxi Grupe from Bavaria./p>
Hauke Berndt, 1st Chairman of the organizing Kieler Yacht-Club (KYC), thanked everyone involved in the organization of the World Championship. Alke Voss, City Councillor for the Environment, Climate Protection and Mobility, then spoke. "We are proud that we have great clubs like the Kieler Yacht-Club in Kiel, which organize events of this quality," said Voss, praising the KYC. She emphasized the inclusive character of the World Championship and the good athmosphere in the 2.4mR class. "We had a great week, a great organizing team, great race management and beautiful competition conditions, even though it was only a light wind, but that's natural sport," said Heiko Kröger in his role as President of the International 2.4mR Class. As a surprise, Canadian para-sailor Bruce Millar, representing the International Class, gave Hauke Berndt a 2.4 flag signed by the World Championship participants. The 2.4mR Inclusive World Championship ended with a dinner together.
Text: Katrin Heidemann
results
