Helmsman Jakob Ahlers, tactician Till Krüger, trimmer Ole von Studnitz and Helene Ropohl on the sheets have brought the Mühlenberger Segel-Club the first major title in the history of the German Sailing League. The MSC quartet came out on top with a victory in the decisive race, in which the seven-time record champions from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein finished third.
It couldn't have gone better for us this year" (Ole von Studnitz)
Ole von Studnitz, who does double duty as a league sailor and also as chairman of the Liga e. V., said: "Winning the cup is a very important title for the MSC and the reward for many years of development work in the youth sector and in the J/70 team. Ole von Studnitz explained what the cup win means for the sailors from the Elbe a few weeks after MSC's bronze medal in the German club championship: "This title gives us a great boost for the coming season. We made the Sailing Champions League with third place in the Bundesliga and now the trophy - it couldn't have gone better for us this year."
In the glamour of the golden season finale, the Mühlenbergers were already forging ambitious plans for the coming season. "This season we've shown what we can do, next year we want to attack the top of the table right from the start," said Till Krüger, setting out the high number of shots planned for the Olympic year 2024.
With coxswain Julia Kühn only just missing out on the trophy
In contrast to the final of the German Sailing League a fortnight ago on the Outer Alster, when veteran Tobias Schadewaldt steered the NRV team to its seventh championship title, the NRV relied on the strength of the next generation for this weekend's cup. Julia Kühn was one of the few female helmsmen in the league. Alongside experienced competitors such as Malte Päsler, Hinnerk Müller and Florian Weser, the Alster experts didn't need much to make it to the top step of the podium again, but the MSC team managed to stop them with a series of victories.
Third place behind the MSC and the NRV was secured by the Yachtclub Möhnesee (YCM) against an autumnal Alster backdrop, closely followed by the junior team from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. The fans on the pontoons, the hosts from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and the organisers were delighted with the successful cup weekend along with the sailors. League founder Oliver Schwall said: "We had two days of sailing on the Alster in almost perfect conditions. Especially on Saturday, the first day, the Alster spoilt all 15 participating teams with top conditions, a cheerful mix of sun and clouds and a steady southerly wind."
Comeback for three relegated second division teams and a new club in league play
On the final Sunday, light winds meant that the programme was involuntarily shortened. "We had to abandon the programme after the first races in the eleventh flight and award average points to the remaining teams after the wind fell asleep. However, this did not detract from the high sporting standard of the cup," summarised Oliver Schwall.
Typical cup: The summit in Hamburg saw a wide variety of crew and league combinations come together. First and second-division teams were joined by junior teams. At the end of the 2023 league season, the four relegated teams from the 2nd division had the chance to win direct promotion back to the 2nd division in the DSL Cup. This ambitious goal was achieved by the Oevelgönner Entdecker und Seefahrer Förderverein (EnSFr), the Bucerius Law School (BSC) team and the crew of the Yachtclub Möhnesee (YCM).
This eleventh Bundesliga season was characterised by a strong generational change" (Oliver Schwall)
This is why only one new team, Segelclub Salzgitter (SCSz), will be joining the "league family" in the upcoming twelfth year of the league. Daniel Kipp, Julia Woehl, Lars Niklas Dietzschold and Leonie Richter proved the SCSz's suitability for the league in Hamburg. Two inclusive teams, Wir sind Wir - Inclusion in Sailing with helmsman Marvin Hamm and Hamburger anBord e. V. with helmsman Thies Brix, also took part in the cup races.
"This eleventh Bundesliga season was characterised by a major generational change. Many young teams are now building on the successes of their clubs," said Oliver Schwall at the end of the 2023 season. "Above all, it is thanks to the host clubs and the many volunteers that all the league events became real sporting highlights, which were always a great get-together of the major German sailing clubs and their league sailors."
