Racer of the Lake 2025
Regatta for wing foilers, wind foilers, and windsurfers on Lake Steinhude
June 28 was a sunny and windy Saturday - perfect for holding this year’s Racer of the Lake at Steinhuder Meer, a regatta organized by the local Surfclub Steinhuder Meer.
Nineteen participants competed, using a mix of wing foil, windsurf, and wind foil equipment. Among them were veteran windsurfing regatta pro Helge Wilkens, young windsurfer Mika Henning, and wing foiler Silke Boers, the only woman in the field.
With winds of 13–18 knots, five races were held throughout the day, all without any protests or false starts. There were incidents nonetheless: Even as a local, Boris Kock discovered that a 95-liter foil mast doesn’t work everywhere on Lake Steinhude.
As the races progressed, it became clear that local hero Helge Wilkens was unbeatable. He secured five wins in five races, with the top three results counting toward the overall standings. This meant a comfortable first-place finish for the former professional windsurfer.
The battle for the remaining podium spots was much closer. Andreas Reese, competing on a wing foil, along with Silas Kohrs and Christoph Deus - both on fin-equipped boards - were separated by just three points.
In the end, Andreas Reese, the fastest wing foiler, finished in second place, while Silas Kohrs (windsurfer) took third place on the overall podium.
The second-fastest wing foiler was Boris Kock, who was locked in a close battle with Ralf Madert but ultimately won by a single point. Ralf was still dealing with a leg injury that prevented him from actively pumping.
Mika Henning finished sixth overall as the youngest windsurfer, and Silke Boers took 13th place in wing foiling.
After the awards ceremony, there was a raffle featuring all kinds of prizes donated by Surfer's Paradise, along with gift certificates from Sport Kaufmann.
Overall results
1. Helge Wilkens (Windsurf)
2. Andreas Reese (1. Wing foil)
3. Silas Kohrs (Windsurf)
4. Christoph Deus (Windsurf)
5. Jose Altiveros (Windsurf)
6. Mika Henning (Y, Windsurf)
7. Boris Kock (2. Wing foil)
8. Ralf Madert (3. Wing foil)
9. Felix Preschat (Windsurf)
10. Julian Depping (Windsurf)
11. Pascal Kopok (4. Wing foil)
...
13. Silke Boers (W, 5. Wing foil)
...
July 18, 2025 © WING DAILY | text: Jürgen Schall | photos/graphics: Ralph Germershausen | translation: DE
