Kieler Woche 2008 will also host the “maiden” X-35 European Championship (X-35-EM) - a highlight for offshore sailors of this popular one-design keelboat class! “We are delighted that the International Class Association of the X-35 one design yachts, built by the X-Yachts company in Haderslev Denmark, again voted in favour of Kiel” commented Eckhard von der Mosel, Kieler Woche race officer of all offshore races and ORC Congressman.

The inaugural European Championship will take place from Wednesday, June 25th to Sunday, June 29th, 2008. “Of course we look forward receiving many entries from last year’s teams which competed in the X-35 Worlds during Kieler Woche 2007”  states Sven Christensen, Manager of Point of Sailing Marketing. Last year the majority of teams participating in the X-35 Worlds (35 entries from 8 nations) complimented the Kieler Woche organisation on a superb regatta and promised to be back in Kiel for the next X-35 highlight.

In 2007 the Dutch team BRS X with skipper Cees Wieringa won the Worlds after 9 races, followed by COOL RUNNING, skipper Mark Richmond as 2nd and HERMES X, skipper Mita Sepp from Estonia as 3rd. Nevertheless, the X-35 Europeans 2008 will be based on strong competition within Germany, e.g. IMMAC X (Christian Soyka/Flensburg, in 2007 7th) and XEN (Thorsten Bastiansen/Flensburg, in 2007 9th overall). “For the 2008 X-35 Europeans’ we expect around 30 entries from NED, NOR, SWE, DEN and EST, - teams from those countries showed their interest even before we had the Notice of Race ready” admitted Eckhard von der Mosel.

X-35 will be one of the one design class that will also have a standard One Design ORC International certficate.

Kieler Woche (June 21 to June 29, 2008)
Part I:  International Classes: June 21 to June 24.
Part II: Olympic Classes: June 25 to June 29.
Part III:  Offshore – divided in 3 sections:
June 21 to June 24 mainly: ORC International and ”IDM under ORC International”.
June 25 to June 29: X-35 Europeans and OneDesign
June 27 to June 29: Yardstick, ORC, and One-Design-Classes 

Premium Partners of Kiel Week 2008 like BMW (presenter), HSH Nordbank and boot Duesseldorf as well as numerous co-sponsors like b+m Informatik, B+S Card Service, Canon, Fürst Bismarck Quelle, Helly Hansen, Hugo Hamann, International Farbenwerke, Jever, Kielnet, Lankhorst/Hohorst, Nexus, Segler-Zeitung, Tutima contribute successfully to 126th edition of Kiel Week.