For about a week, Audi shaped the scene in Kiel and along the Kieler Förde. 1,000 test drives by visitors took place in the current Audi models, 25 Audi Q7 vehicles of the trailer service ensured smooth switching between the various boat classes, fans again experienced the fascination of sailing with support by Audi at their fingertips this year. “This week was superb advertising for sailing,” says Markus Siebrecht, Head of Marketing Germany of AUDI AG. “With a mix of top sporting performances and a festival for the people, the Kieler Woche presented itself at its best. We’re happy that Audi was again able to contribute its part to this.”
The secret stars of the Kieler Woche were the B/one boats that Audi had taken to the north for the first time. Audi guests had their first sailing experiences on the entry-level boats with a length of more than seven meters, which offered them a totally new perspective of the action on water. With instructions provided by experienced skippers, the amateurs contested their own races in the Bay of Kiel.
A highlight of the competitions under the Audi flag was the inaugural event of the Audi Sailing Cup, which Audi DTM driver Timo Scheider won on his first ever outing on a sail boat. At the regatta, the two-time champion together with his race engineer Markus Michelberger and skipper Ulrike Schümann competed against the five other B/one boats, each of which had a mixed crew of celebrities and professional sailors. Among others, TV hosts Kai Pflaume and Nova Meierhenrich, actor Simon Licht, singer Rufus Martin, ski jumper Richard Freitag, the players of ERC Ingolstadt Björn Barta and Alexander Oblinger as well as Olympic gold medalists Carlos Nevado (hockey), Ole Bischof (judo), Karl Schulze and Lauritz Schoof (rowing) sailed in the competition.
Making a fascinating sport a tangible experience for the visitor – the motto of Audi’s program offered to all sailing fans this year delivered on this promise more than ever before. “Kieler Woche TV powered by Audi” broadcast the action from the water to numerous TV screens and the internet using modern camera technology and a dedicated studio. The Audi stage with a projection screen, interview sessions, podium ceremonies and prize-winning contests was the hub in the area in front of the marina of the Olympic Center was.
Since 2010, Audi has been a premium partner of the Kieler Woche, which is one of the season’s pinnacle events for Audi Sailing Team Germany as well. This year, the German national sailing team, with numerous medals, was again among the winners of the competitions. In the olympic and paralympic classes Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke, Philipp Buhl as well as Heiko Kröger achieved gold medals, Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel won silver.
The highlights of this year’s regattas and activities in the form of text, photos and videos are available at www.audi-sailing.de or on the “Audi Sailing” app for iPhone and iPod touch which can be obtained free of charge from the App Store.
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