Four races have been sailed in the CSC 505 world championship at Warnemünde in northerly thermal winds.

After light wind on the weekend, the sea breeze increased to 20-25 knots on Monday afternoon. With a record-breaking fleet size of 175 boats, the length of the gate start line causes an enormous leverage. Starting on the favoured side of the line has never been more important. In every race, a couple of world class sailors found themselves at the weather mark with more than 100 boats in front of them after picking the wrong side of the first beat.

In the large and strong fleet, sailors are getting used to come out in radically different positions, depending on a good or bad first beat. Germans Böhm/Roos have made the most exciting jump from 106th in the first race to third in the second heat.

Two time world champions Wolfgang Hunger /Holger Jess (GER) also experienced a bad first race with a 24th place, but recovered during the next two days with an immaculate 4, 3, 1 series. The two best teams from the Preworlds, Mark Ivey/ Shane Illidge (USA) and Christian Kellner/Klaus Stammerjohann follow on the scoreboard. Hunger’s nine-point lead over Ivey looks quite comfortable, but since mistakes tend to be disastrous in this regatta, the first ten boats still have a shot on the title.

Results (after four races)

1. Hunger/Jess GER 8 pts

2. Ivey/Illidge USA 17

3. Kellner/Stammerjohann GER 18

4. Scheder-Beschin/Görge GER 19

5. Martin/Falsone USA 23

6. Saugmann/Ramsbaek DEN 24

7. Scutcher/Diebitsch GBR 24

8. Beeckmann/Nelson USA 26

9. Petersen/Buhl DEN 26

10. Lehmann/Schöler GER 26