More than 120 athletes from 22 nations competed under perfect conditions at the ICF SUP World Cup at Scharbeutzer Seebrücke in Lübeck Bay over the weekend.
 
Germany's Ole Schwarz picked up the gold in Saturday's technical race, while in Sunday's 7500 metres long distance on Sunday, reigning world champion Michael Booth from Australia and the world rankings leader Fiona Wylde, USA, won in exciting final spurts. Sonni Hönscheid took second place with only one board length behind Fiona Wylde.
 
It's the fourth time Scharbeutz has hosted the ICF SUP World Cup, and was the only German stop of the Eurotour SUP. Athletes from all over the world competed for 20,000 Euro in prizemoney, and important points for the ranking list before the World Championships in China at the end of October.
 
The ranking leaders Fiona Wylde (USA) and Michael Booth (AUS) travelled directly from New York on Sunday morning. Their efforts were to be rewarded.
 
In Saturday's technical race athletes competed in fast races for five buoys with narrow sprints on the 500-meter course. Ole Schwarz from Bonn, confidently clinched all victories in the preliminary rounds and was also unbeatable in the final. Petronella von Malsen from Zandvoort, Netherlands won the women's race. 
On Sunday 28 young paddlers showed at the youth race over 1,000 meters and more than 60 men and women over 3,000 meters, showing once again that SUP is clearly one of the fastest growing water sports.
 
A total of 72 professionals (52 men and 24 women) then went on Sunday in the long distance discipline on the 7,500 metre long course. The course was to be circumnavigated five times.
 
Fiona Wylde from Hood River, Oregon (USA) won just ahead of world champion Sonni Hönscheid, who had fought her way from seventh place to the lead after a bad start, but then lost her paddle at a turn.
 
"That was annoying, but it was a great and fair race and a lot of fun," she said.  
 
Australia's world ranking champion, Michael Booth, won the men's race.
 
After the race many of the riders stowed their boards in a prepared container, which will then bring their boards to China by sea in time for the ICF World Championship.
 
Rami Zur, chairman of the ICF SUP commission, praised the cooperation with the professional organisers of the company Act Agency and described this competition as a successful dress rehearsal for the ICF World Championships held from October 24th to 27th in Qingdao/China .
 
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