Cruising evening: Cruiser department honours the winners of the 100th cruising competition
Alexander Worms
· 11.09.2023
In the run-up to the evening, it was also speculated that the current discussions about the upcoming reforms could find their way to the cruising evening. However, DSV Chairwoman Mona Küpper put a stop to this right at the beginning in her welcoming speech: "Tonight is about you and your voyages, it's not about politics."
This worked for the most part, but what was noticeable was the brevity of the speech, with which Clemens Fackeldey, DSV Vice President and responsible for cruising sailing and thus for the cruiser department, retired from office for personal reasons. Guido Marx, jury chairman of the cruising competition, will also be devoting more time to sailing in future. He is also stepping down from his duties. But that was all there was to say about politics, at least on this evening. It is clear to everyone involved that there will have to be further discussions about the future and the direction of the KA.
Practised seamanship
When it came to travelling, Mona Küpper put it in a nutshell: "Cruising is living seamanship!" This is impressively demonstrated by the stories of the winners and participants: be it with the family around Cape Horn, with researchers and students into the ice, along the coasts of Norway or single-handed and parallel to the full-time job from on board from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean. The voyages submitted this year totalled 99,299 nautical miles.
TheCommodore and theEnvironmental Award was won by Dr Peter Kaupke from the Blankeneser Segel Club, who sailed around Spitsbergen with his "Marevida", a Berckemeyer BM 70, as part of the Arctic Circle project and documented the changes to the habitat there. He received the environmental award because the voyage was carried out in a particularly sustainable manner.
Travelling single-handed with a hangover and a full-time job
TheGudrun Calligaro Prize for voyages undertaken under the command of a woman went to Saskia Kadern. The Cologne native sailed her Contest 34 "Robulla" single-handed along the coast of France and Spain to Póvoa do Varzim in Portugal. She did this with her hangover and alongside a full-time job, which she did from on board.
TheSpecial family price went to Prof Dr Uwe May. He sailed the trip from Lemmer in the Netherlands through the Göta Canal with his family. The children are now adults and wanted to do the trip again, having already completed it with their parents many years ago when they were small children.
TheSilver seagull for young skippers was awarded to Sophia Groninger, who skippered an Elan 31 named "Taffi" with changing youth crews around the Baltic Sea.
68 trips, including 22 bronze, 15 silver and 19 gold
A total of 68 trips were presented and eleven special prizes were awarded. There were 22 bronze, 15 silver and 19 gold awards. The remaining trips were presented.
It remains to be seen how and in what form the cruising evening will take place next year. We can only hope that Clemens Fackeldey's conclusion will be the same as this year: "What a wonderful evening!"
