This weekend, the 36 first and second division teams will meet in Berlin for the season opener of the German Sailing League at the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club. The Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, the nationally and internationally outstanding club in 2022 with the club championship, the cup victory and the Champions League triumph, will be the hunted in six regattas of the German Sailing League, including a home match in the final on Hamburg's Alster. Team manager Klaus Lahme: "Defending the title is the goal of the season." The helming duties in the NRV league team will be shared by the experienced helmsmen Tobias Schadewaldt with tactician Daniel Reichart and Leon Passlack with tactician Julia Kühn. After an intensive training camp with the Bavarian Yacht Club and star boat world champion and top coach Diego Negri on Lake Garda, the record six-time Hamburg club champions are looking to get off to a strong start in the German Sailing League.
The programme includes up to 4,000 races in the German Sailing League, the Junior League, the Champions League for mixed teams and for women, the first Over-40 Summit and the Cup Regatta at the end of the season in Hamburg.
More than 350 clubs with over 3,000 active members are organised in league sailing worldwide. After the coronavirus years and the voluntary withdrawal of clubs, the league's situation in this country is no longer cloudy, but bright.
Interview with League founder Oliver Schwall
Oliver Schwall, how is the German Sailing League doing today?
Extremely good. More is always possible, but after two difficult coronavirus years, last season was inspiring. Everyone was keen and the atmosphere was great. We haven't lost a club for this season.
The average age of the players has dropped to under 25 ...
That's good for the league. Many clubs have completed their generational change. It's a balancing act between the ambition to be at the forefront with experienced players and the desire to create opportunities for young talent.
The German Sailing League has also had to overcome financial lows in recent years. What does it look like today?
We have nothing to complain about and have even gained some new partners. We were able to reduce the burden on the clubs by ten per cent.
Most recently, these amounted to around 11,000 euros per club and season, excluding travelling expenses ...
Now it is around 10,000 euros. With all ancillary costs, a club averages 20,000 euros per year. That's around 2,000 euros per sailor. Compared to other sailing commitments and in view of the added value of the league, that is very attractive.
The dates of the Sailing Bundesliga 2023
- 12 to 14 May in Berlin
- 28 to 30 June in Travemünde
- 18 to 20 August in Kiel
- 15 to 17 September in Constance
- 6 to 8 October in Überlingen
- 19 to 21 October in Hamburg
- DSL Cup: 4 to 5 November in Hamburg
The previous winners of the German Sailing League
- 2022: North German Regatta Association
- 2021: ONEKiel
- 2020: North German Regatta Club
- 2019: Association Seglerhaus am Wannsee
- 2018: North German Regatta Club
- 2017: North German Regatta Club
- 2016: German Touring Yacht Club
- 2015: German Touring Yacht Club
- 2014: North German Regatta Club
- 2013: North German Regatta Association
The clubs in the first German Sailing League for the 2023 season
- Academic Sailing Club Warnemünde
- Berlin Yacht Club
- Lake Constance Yacht Club Überlingen
- Chiemsee Yacht Club
- Düsseldorf Yacht Club
- Flensburg Sailing Club
- Hamburg Sailing Club
- Constance Yacht Club
- Mühlenberg Sailing Club
- Münchner Yacht-Club Norddeutscher Regatta Verein Regatta-Segler Neuruppin
- Schlei Sailing Club
- Überlingen Sailing and Motorboat Club
- Sailing Association 1903
- Association Seglerhaus am Wannsee
- Hemelingen Water Sports Club
- Württemberg Yacht Club
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
