The Olympic sailors of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein are delighted to receive a very special pre-Christmas present: private equity investor and two-time Club Swan 50 world champion Marcus Brennecke will be supporting the Olympic medallists from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein with a mid-six-figure sum.
Olympic funding focussed on the best: iQFoil men, 470 mixed and Ilca 7 in sight
Marcus Brennecke has been one of the top players on the international circuit in the ClubSwan 50 class with his "Hatari" for many years. After intensive discussions at international level and extensive course-setting, Marcus Brennecke is now stepping up his efforts to promote Olympic sailing. As a first step, Brennecke is focussing on the current flagship boat classes iQFoil Men, 470 Mixed and Ilca 7 in the NRV Olympic Team powered by Hatari in the immediate preparations for Paris 2024.
This will provide intensive support for precisely those NRV candidates who want to compete at the Olympic Games with the best chances of winning a medal - if they can qualify: In the men's iQFoil, it's Sebastian Kördel, the German windsurfing giant who was world champion in 2022 and runner-up in 2023, thus confirming his medal ambitions for the iQFoil men's Olympic premiere next year on several occasions.
I am proud to have Marcus Brennecke as a sponsor who, as a world champion, knows exactly what it takes to stand at the top of the podium in the end." (Sebastian Kördel)
Marcus Brennecke's funding primarily goes towards material and personnel costs. For example, Sebastian Kördel, who was voted Hamburg's Sportsman of the Year, was able to further professionalise his fitness training and bring fitness expert Dieko Riebe into his support team.
Kördel, who is currently unrivalled in Germany, said before his Olympic premiere: "I had the privilege of sailing with Marcus on his 'Hatari'. It was impressive to see how his team of absolute sailing legends worked together and mastered the tasks on the regatta course." "Basti" Kördel continued: "I am proud to have a sponsor in Marcus who, as a world champion, knows exactly what it takes to finish at the top of the podium."
Olympic champions support German 470 mixed teams on course for Marseille 2024
Several strong Olympic crews from the German Sailing Team will be competing for the North German Regatta Club in the 470 Mixed: Luise Wanser and Philipp Autenrieth, the 2022 world champions, will be competing for an Olympic ticket in the newly Olympic mixed discipline. Malte and Anastasiya Winkel, their club and team mates and rivals, are also competing for just one Marseille ticket in the 470 mixed.
The Brennecke sponsorship makes it possible for the mixed 470 duos to rely on additional support from Olympic champions such as Will Ryan and Jordi Calafat in addition to their strong training environment in the German Sailing Team. The two leading helmsmen under the DSV umbrella are also in action for the traditionally strong NRV in the Ilca 7: Philipp Buhl is leading the already started national elimination in this discipline with a four-point lead over his club mate Nik Willim.
Marcus is a real role model for our athletes" (Klaus Lahme)
The Olympic single-handed dinghy sailors can rely on the support of five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt, among others, thanks to the new sponsorship at Ilca 7. In the medium and long term, Marcus Brennecke's involvement is planned as professional support for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games.
NRV Club Manager Klaus Lahme, who has successfully led the NRV Olympic Team for many years, welcomes Marcus Brennecke's commitment: "Marcus is a real role model for our athletes: he is an absolute world-class athlete and professional. He has not only exemplified his motto 'Success can be planned'. With his generous support on the home straight to the Olympic Games in Marseille, he has enabled us to step up a gear once again. That is incredibly valuable support."
I want to 'give something back' to the sport of sailing and in particular to top-level Olympic sport" (Marcus Brennecke)
While the athletes are being inspired, two-time Olympian and boatbuilding expert Marc Pickel will be contributing his expertise to optimise the Olympic boats. The Kiel native is also supporting the German youth and women's teams for their participation in next year's Youth and Puig Women's America's Cup off Barcelona.
Marcus Brennecke said about his commitment: "I have been sailing competitively in various classes since I was a child. In the Admiral's Club, for example, in one-design classes such as the Dragon, Melges 24, J70, L95 and ClubSwan 50. I want to 'give something back' to sailing and in particular to top-level Olympic sport."
The NRV Olympic Team has done an excellent job in recent years, so I would like to support them via this platform" (Marcus Brennecke)
Marcus Brennecke is pursuing clear goals with his concentrated NRV commitment, which has been planned for some time and has now been finalised, saying: "I firmly believe in a systematic approach to achieving personal goals and have spoken not only with the DSV but also with other successful sailing associations in the run-up to the event. For example with Team GBR, the Australians and the USA in order to better understand their approaches."
Marcus Brennecke had already gained some initial experience as a sponsor: "In the immediate run-up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, I provided some short-term support for the 49er, 49er FX and Ilca classes. However, I am of the opinion that we need to do more in the run-up to the Games. In addition to the financial commitment, I also try to support the selected classes with concrete approaches and contacts. With the intention of making a positive contribution in terms of promoting performance. The NRV Olympic Team has done an outstanding job in recent years, so I would like to support them via this platform."
