© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
News
Day 2: The Ocean Race Europe - Summit & Fan Day!
After the ceremonial opening of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 the day before, the second round began on Thursday, 7 August. The Ocean Race Summit in the Central Library of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the fans took centre stage. The Fan Day, which lasted several hours, attracted many sailing enthusiasts to the Reventlouwiese - very close to the main players of this international sailing race.
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
The Ocean Race Summit brought together politicians, scientists and sailors on stage in the Central Library of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. With a view of the Kiel Fjord, the health status of the oceans in general and the Baltic Sea in particular was presented and ways to protect the oceans were outlined.
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Tobias Goldschmidt, Minister for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature of the State of Schleswig-Holstein
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Ulf Kämpfer, Lord Mayor of the City of Kiel
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
In addition to Boris Herrmann and his wife Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann, who were at the Ocean Live Park with their Ocean Challenge project for children, many other sailors from the teams were also present.
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Iver Ahlmann, ACO Group
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Prof Katja Matthes, Director GEOMAR
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
© Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Shortly after the Ocean Live Park opened, Kieler Nachrichten organised a talk on the topic of "Kiel as a sailing and Olympic city". On the stage in the Sailing City's Ocean Live Park, it quickly became clear that Kiel loves sailing. The start harbour event for The Ocean Race Europe 2025 already demonstrates this enthusiasm and is therefore the best advertisement for the current Olympic bid. Kiel's 2020 Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo Susann "Sanni" Beucke said: "Events like The Ocean Race Europe are needed to increase enthusiasm for sailing and therefore also enthusiasm for the Olympics."
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
Shortly after the talk, the Fan Day kicked off with various activities around the Reventlouwiese. While the fans were able to get autographs and selfies from all the teams at signing sessions, a meet & greet with Will Harris and Flore Hartout from Team Malizia and Team Amaala with skipper Alan Roura, Simon Koster and Félix Oberle invited them to the sailing camp. There was a relaxed, fan-focussed Q&A session on stage with the Holcim-PRB, Paprec Arkéa and Malizia teams. The latter ended the Fan Day with their signing session. Despite the absence of Boris Herrmann, who was unable to attend, it attracted so many fans that instead of finishing at 7 p.m. as planned, it was over half an hour later. Will Harris, Flore Hartout, Cole Brauer and Justine Mettraux made every fan happy in the coming days despite their demanding schedule.
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
Will Harris, Cole Brauer and Justine Mettraux from Team Malizia
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
Team Amaala and Team Malizia at the sailing camp - questions, answers and signatures for the kids!
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
Cole Brauer and Justine Mettraux from Team Malizia ...
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan Michael Böckmann
... and Rosalin Kuiper and Carolijn Brouwer from Team Holcim-PRB
Greta Sophie Strauß, Project Coordinator "The Ocean Race Europe", Kiel-Marketing GmbH, draws a happy interim conclusion after day two of the start harbour event: "People were expecting a small Kiel Week, and we now have it - with the subtle difference that it is less about food and nightlife culture and much more about sailing and its many facets."
© Kiel-Marketing GmbH – Bericht: Ralf Löwe / sonofasailor.de
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