News
150 metres pontoon for seven IMOCAs

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The Ocean Race inspires with its proximity to the top international teams and their racing yachts, the IMOCAs. They will moor at the northern end of the Ocean Live Park at the Blücherbrücke. But before this can happen, two of the bridge's dolphins have to be replaced for a six-figure sum and a 150 metre long pontoon from the Wittmann company in Henstedt-Ulzburg has to be brought in. One of the many jobs that the Kiel marketing team has to organise in advance.

Also on board is Berke WMB Technik, Kiel, a steel and hydraulic engineering company responsible for securing the bridge to the Blücherbrücke and carrying out daily inspections.

Last but not least: Alu-Bau Michael Jahn, Büdelsdorf – who welded two gangways over the weekend so that the teams and pit lane visitors could safely get from the bridge to the pontoons. Lesson learned for the Kiel marketing team: Try finding gangways three meters long and one meter wide in port cities like Kiel, Hamburg... You wouldn't think it would be such a challenge!

The individual pontoon sections are lowered into the water by crane at the mouth of the Schwentine, as they cannot be delivered directly to the Blücherbrücke due to their weight. From there, they are towed across the fjord to the Blücher Bridge by a tugboat operated by the Kieler Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft (SFK). Moor a tug to the pontoon and tow it away ..

This was also an odyssey of preparations and planning for us from the Kiel Marketing team - which of course nobody will notice at the event from 6-10 August. But what counts: