A strong GB team are out Travemünder Woche in Germany for the 2024 ICF Canoe Sailing World Championships. Keep an eye on the page to see how the team get on.
Words from Chris Hampe
Photo: Sue Fleming
Day 1 22 July
The 21st International 20 square meter Canoe World championships kicked off in boisterous
conditions on the first Monday of Travemünder Woche on the Baltic shores of Germany.
After launching for a midday start conditions quickly escalated with gusts close to 30 knots and with
a severe sea state the fleet was eventually sent back ashore and the long waiting game started.
Chris Hampe charged across the line on port chased by Glen Truswell with the leading American contenders, David Clark and Micheal Costello leading the main bunch of starboard tack boats to the left.
Clark led Hampe around the windward mark with the top four all close for the first triangle.
Meanwhile in the pack the places were changing as each mistake and capsise reshuffling the order,
Ole Jungle closing up the gap to those ahead, while in the IC one design it was Simon Hipkin who was
leading Stephen Fleming and Torsten Marquardt.
At the end of the sausage leg out front the Americans were 1st & 2nd but were celebrating too early
having thought they had finished. By the final gybe mark on the second and final triangle Costello
had only just managed to hold out Glen Truswell, But Clark had slipped back to 4th behind Hampe
and despite closing up the positions would hold to the finish line.
Day 2 23 July
Day 2 of the international canoe world championships was another long frustrating day of waiting
with only 2 races sailed despite all boats being on the water for over 6 hours.
With the wind starting from the south west the flatter conditions saw some new faces towards the
front of the fleet with Mike Fenwick scoring two third places and Ole Junge with two fourths and
Alistair Warren with two fifth place finishes to move them up the results. Both races of the day
would have the same top five with Glen Truswell leading Mike Costello who had dug himself out a
bit of a hole and cruised back through the fleet from a mediocre start.
Day 3 24 July
On reaching the start area the fleet was meet with marginally better conditions to the first day. After
a slight delay the fleet was away, all on starboard tack, and those who quickly headed to the right
were in the leading pack at the first mark.
The form book continued for the first two laps as Glen Truswell led from Micheal Costello until
Costello would take some shifts up the final beat to charge away for the win on the final downwind
legs. Glen would have an easier win in the second race of the day as Costello had to fight through
the fleet again.
The final race of the day would however go down to the final short beat to the finish line. Costello
had taken the lead at the final windward mark and the two boats would be overlapped as they rounded the final mark of the race Glen sailed around the American to just take the win and lead 8
points to ten at the half way stage.
For the rest of the fleet the top ten tightened up with German Peter Ullmann, Alistair Warren and
Dan Skinner from the UK all taking a jump up the standings. The one design fleet continues to be led
by Simon Hipkin from Torsten Marquardt ahead of Steve Fleming.
Tomorrow will see the running of the New York Challenge Cup where Germany will make their first
ever challenge against the defending British Team. The New York Challenge Cup is the second oldest
international sailing competition in the world. The current format is for three boats from the
challengers and three boats from the defenders race a best if three series, but unlike team racing
here the first boat to finish wins the race.
Day 4 25 July
After another long day of delays the result of the New York Challenge Cup remains in the balance.
The match was a tense affair the Germans were fielding a team of light air specialists so the minimal
5-6 knots on the course possibly had them as a slight favourite.
In race 1 The start would prove controversial as Hampe (gbr) luffed Ullmann (ger) who stalled his
tack under pressure. Stopped on port there was a question of if he impeded the rapid approaching
starboard tack of Dan Skinner (gbr). After this Ullmann would extend away to a huge lead but
Hampe with his Turner built t-foil rudder working in overdrive and banging in big angles would close
rapidy on the final downwind to engage a gybing duel into the bottom mark.
One slip and Hampe’s inside line was lost and Peter Ullmann would extend away for the win.
The 2nd race saw the Brits soon dispense Ullmann to the back only for Ole Junge of Germany to
break into a lead. Downwind Hampe engaged again and had a slight lead at the bottom mark. In a
rare event for canoe sailing the two boats engaged in a tacking dual with the advantages swinging
between the two boats. While the German Junge would take the initial advantage the dual was
enough to allow the chasing British boats to close up and the final beat to the finish it was Alistair
Warren who would apply the pressure and pass Junge just before the finish.
As the boats returned downwind back to the starting area the wind died away and the racing was
abandoned for the day. On the water it’s a score draw, but the protest overhangs the result. If a
third race is needed the race officer will schedule this ahead of the three championship races
scheduled for Friday with a potential 09:30 start.
Day 5 26 July
It was another early start for the six competitors from Germany and Great Britain that would sail the
deciding race of the New york challenge cupat 09:30 before regular championship races would
resume at 11AM.
The British rocked up with a plan and it was Chris Hampe would start the early aggression, again
targeting Peter Ullman, Meanwhile Dan Skinner was shadowing Ole Junge in the pre-start. Ullmans
made a bad tack and fouled Hampe with the two boats becoming entangled and capsised with less
than two minutes to go, Meanwhile Dan Skinner had slowed Junge enough that Alistair Warren was
relesed off the startline and into a clear lead ahead of the remaining German Simon Beers. Ole Junge
would pull back into 3rd But Alistair Warren was unstoppable and extended his lead on every leg, to
secure the victory for the British team.
After the conclusion of the challenge cup the fleet lined up for three races that would see the 2nd
discard of the event come in to play. Alistair Warren continued his good form to move up to 4th
overall with a 7, 5, 5 scoreline. David Clark from the US team would have a good day to move up to
6th. The top of he fleet would see the same results for the podiom positions all claimed, Mike
Fenwick with three 3rd place finishes, Michead Costello with three 2nd place finishes and Glen
Truswell with three wins. At the time of coming off water it was unclear if there would be 2 or 3
races left to sail on Saturday to conclude the regatta, But the Race officer notified the fleet that the
final day schedule would be for only two races, effectively crowning Truswell as the world champion
with a day to go.
Day 6 27 July
The forecast for the final day of the International Canoe World Championships at Travemunde Woche, hosted by Lubecker Yacht Club was always looking tricky. With a combination of a high
pressure system, warm front and clouds over the land the first postponement was quickly extended,
and extended again until at 13:00 the decision was made to cancel all further races as it was unlikely
that a start could be made before the 15:00 cut off.
At the prize giving US sailor Steve Clark gave a rousing speech about his time in the fleet “Some
time about 50 years ago I sailed an International Canoe for the first time. And it ended up being
quite an important thing. The boat inspired my imagination and it became a fascination that has
stayed with me for 50 years. I still imagine the boat all the time”
Next it was time to present the New York Canoe Club International Challenge Trophy. The trophy is
reported to be the second oldest international sailing trophy still awarded, second only to the
America’s Cup. The competition is currently contested as a three on three team race, But unlike
regular team racing it is the first boat to finish that wins the race for their nation. This year the
defending British team of Dan Skinner, Alistair Warren and Chris Hampe had a hard fought win
against the first ever challenge from the German team of Peter Ullman, Ole Junge and Simon Beers.
Finally it was time for the main prize giving with each competitor called forward to receive an award
including Geoff Carne, who chartered a boat for the event and will host the next worlds at Jervis Bay
Yacht Club, Australia in 2027. Henry Warren who at just 15 was the youngest entry. Milena Lutzen
from Denmark who finished every race at her first canoe worlds.
The one design top three were 3rd (20th Overall) Steve Fleming, 2nd (18th Overall) Torsten
Marquardt and 1st (17th Overall) Simon Hipkin who wins the Peter Nethercott Trophy.
Dave Clark added his thoughts after placing 6th “This class has grown and accelerated in a way that I
could not possibly have imagined. I can’t wait to see you guys in Australia”
Soon it was time for the main podium ceremony as Mike Fenwick, Micheal Costello and Glen
Truswell took to the podium ahead of the cheering crowd.
Next Year will see the UK host the Europa Cup from July 21st – 25th at Brixham Yacht club in Devon,
while the next world championships will take place in February 2027 at Jervis Bay Sailing Club in New
South Wales, Australia.