After nine action-packed days, the 131st Kiel Week concluded with a final day befitting its prestigious legacy: ideal conditions, highly intense Olympic finals, and a large turnout of spectators.
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One day after the historic parade of traditional sailing ships, which drew around 170,000 people to admire the impressive German training ship Gorch Fock, the event wrapped up with outstanding races, thrilling moments, and an open debate about its future as a potential Olympic host city.
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More than 5,000 sailors from 60 countries faced variable winds, heavy rain, and demanding conditions on the water. These circumstances forced the cancellation of some races, rescheduling, and strategic reassessments. Nevertheless, the final Sunday felt like a reward for competitors and fans alike, with clear skies and steady winds between 14 and 20 knots. A total of 3.3 million people attended, slightly fewer than the 3.5 million recorded the previous year.
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One of the most anticipated duels was in the 470 class. British sailors Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, bronze medallists at the last World Championships, reaffirmed their dominance with a convincing win in the final race. Spaniards Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona took silver, marking their fourth consecutive podium finish this season. The bronze went to Portuguese duo Diogo Costa and Carolina João.
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For the home team, the best performance came from Theresa Löffler and Christopher Hoerr, who climbed to fifth overall thanks to a strong showing on the last day. Another German team, Winkel and Schütze, finished in the top ten despite suffering mechanical failures during the week.

The Olympic catamaran final was contested in challenging conditions, with formed waves and strong winds. The partial victory went to Australians Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown, who unexpectedly climbed to third place on the podium. The gold medal was claimed by the French pair Mourniac and Retornaz, while silver went to the British team of Gimson and Burnet.
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In the J/70 class, Dane Sten Mohr asserted his experience with a consistent performance. In ILCA 4, young Maltese sailor Timmy Vassallo won eight of the ten races held. In ILCA 6, German Levian Büscher, just 16 years old, prevailed among 119 participants. A recent bronze medallist at the Under-17 World Championships, Büscher will move this summer to Kiel’s sports centre, where his idol Philipp Buhl was trained.
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Despite the sporting success, not all was positive. Extreme weather conditions exposed organisational shortcomings. The lack of communication with teams and insufficient port logistics, especially regarding the allocation of mooring spaces, led to numerous complaints. Several participants lamented the lack of flexibility to adjust the schedule amid changing weather.
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ILCA 7 World Champion Philipp Buhl was clear in his criticism: “This is not up to the standard expected of an Olympic Games.” His comments gained particular resonance given Kiel’s intention to bid for future Olympic Games.
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Event sporting director Dirk Ramhorst responded openly: “We listen to the criticism. We can improve. But year after year, we prove we are up to the task.” Despite his remarks, Buhl reaffirmed his support for the German bid, assuring that if organisational aspects improve, the chances of success for a future Olympic edition will grow significantly.
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Although the closing was highly exciting, the criticisms have cast doubt on whether the event is truly ready to take on the responsibility of hosting the Olympic Games in 2036. The German bid, while supported by strong sporting credentials, will need to work hard on these issues to turn potential into a proposal capable of convincing the International Olympic Committee. The future of Kiel Week as an Olympic hub will depend on its ability to learn from this feedback and raise its organisational standards to the highest level.
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It remains to be seen what will happen next year. Kiel Week 2026 is scheduled to take place from Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 June 2026.