Just as well, because the sun is now setting early in the evening and autumn has crept up on us. Gone are the days when it was still possible to enjoy a long programme in the fresh air after work - or perhaps even take a dip in the water.
How good it is for us sailors that more and more films and videos - often available free of charge - are about sailing and great seafaring adventures, which can make the end of the season at least a little more bearable.
Film tip #1: halfway around the world with the sailing boys
Firstly, there are the "sailing boys". After Tim Hund and Vincent Goymann set sail from Germany three years ago as greenhorns with two other friends from their Bavarian homeland with the plan to sail around the world, they have now come a long way. After two Atlantic crossings, ship swaps, the coronavirus pandemic, crew downsizing and a Pacific crossing, they have now reached Southeast Asia with their yacht "Arrya".
The makers of the ZDF documentary film series "Terra X - Adventure Freedom" accompanied the two young sailors on board and produced the 43-minute film "Adventure Freedom - Around the World with the Wind" about the journey of the two "sailing boys", which is well worth seeing. It can be seen in the ZDF media library until further notice.
Film tip #2: in the rhythm of the tides
"The Breath of the Sea" is a film for fans of magnificent images of nature that is best enjoyed on a big screen. For over an hour and a half, this poetic cinema documentary shows the impressive universe of the Wadden Sea, the largest marshland in the world.
It shows the people and nature that characterise the regions along the German, Dutch and Danish coasts. From Den Helder in the Netherlands to the East Frisian coasts and Skallingen in Denmark, the special collection of islands and communities all have their very own character. Viewers are immersed in the feeling of the never-ending rhythm of ebb and flow. A film to relax and slow down, which will be shown until 12 January 2023. can be seen in the ARD media centre.
Film tip #3: to the ski tour to Spitsbergen
A few days ago, the European Outdoor Film Tour 2022 celebrated its premiere. It's nothing new that the programme of its sister event, the Ocean Film Tour, includes a sailing film from time to time. Now, however, the two-hour outdoor programme also includes a short maritime adventure that packs a punch.
The 11-minute film "Skisick" shows how Norwegian Nikolai Schirmer and his crew sail to Spitsbergen to undertake daring ski descents at the end of the world. They also realise how much climate change has already altered this region.
The longer films in the programme in particular are an entertaining way to combat the emerging autumn blues, even if they have nothing to do with harbours and deep-sea heroes. The film "Wild Water", for example, about the exceptional career of French whitewater paddler Nouria Newman, is impressive. The climbing adventure "Bridge Boys" by two British professional climbers is both hair-raising and comical.
