German sailors in particular will sorely miss Boris Hepp. But they are not the only ones who have come to know the DSV chief surveyor, who held so many threads together in Schilksee and brought people together, as a rock in the surf and central employee of the DSV technical department for almost two decades. Boris Hepp died early this morning at the age of 49 in the university hospital in Kiel.
German sailing will miss his often cheerful smile, his infectious humour and his intensive and dedicated work. The graduate engineer in shipbuilding and marine technology was at home on sailing boats from an early age, initially on Lake Constance and later - during his studies at Kiel University of Applied Sciences - on the North and Baltic Seas. Hepp was already working for many shipyards during his studies. In 2000, he joined the technical department of the German Sailing Association, which he has headed since 2004.
Together with Wolfgang Schäfer, Hepp has done a lot for offshore sailing - at both national and international level, in his personal commitment as well as in the association and on committees. "He is probably the person who did the most for the sport of sailing," said Schäfer, paying tribute to his companion and colleague on the Sailing Committee, whom he had supported intensively in recent weeks. "His death tears a huge hole. Boris was one of the few people who had a plan - and an open ear for sensible innovations, which he then implemented. He left far too soon," says Bertil Balser, Chairman of the Regatta Association for Sea Sailing (RVS).
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
