5 years of the Helga Cup: The world's largest women's regatta about to start: an Alster pleasure for female regatta sailors

The 5th Helga Cup starts in Hamburg on Friday. Around 300 female sailors from Germany, Europe and overseas will set sail for the world's largest women's regatta on Hamburg's Outer Alster. Many of them are not coming for the first time and can hardly wait to start. The idea of initiator and main organiser Sven Jürgensen has become a summit event for female regatta sailors within just a few years. The event is hosted by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in pole position on the Alster with a suitable address for participants and fans: Schöne Aussicht 37.

After two pandemic editions, this is the first Helga Cup where the focus is once again on togetherness on land. The hosts cheerfully proclaim their message: "The women sail with and against each other. Without the hashtag 'prove what you can do', without a weight disadvantage, without a strength disadvantage." They want to inspire the participants in the same way that Olympic silver medallist Susann Beucke, who has switched to offshore sailing with her "This race is female" campaign, aims to do. "Sanni" will not only give the first starting signal for the races from around 1.30 pm on 10 June, but will also take part herself. The Helga Cup winner at the premiere in 2018 will get into a boat with wheelchair basketball player and Paralympic silver medallist Anne Patzwald. The duo will start in an S/V 14 specially designed for inclusive sailing.

The Helga Cup is held in different types of boats - the J 70 and RS 21 familiar from regatta sport as well as S\V-14 boats with bucket seats, so that wheelchair users can also take part in sailing. The teams take it in turns to sail against each other in many short races in a format familiar from the German Sailing League. Olympic track cycling champion Kristina Vogel, who took over the patronage of the Helga Cup three years ago, is delighted that the regatta can once again take place without restrictions for its fifth anniversary: "The Helga Cup is a very special event. Inclusion is not just a word here, but is practised and promoted at all levels. The warm cooperation between all the women is worthy of emulation and the lighthouse character - especially on the integrated inclusion course - is exemplary."

In cooperation with the Ukrainian-born Olympic sailor Anastasiya Winkel, who is married to Malte Winkel in Germany, and the Ukrainian Consulate, the Helga Cup organisers gave Ukrainian children the opportunity to sail on the boats that had already been set up the day before the event under the guidance of experienced skippers. Their mothers were able to socialise with each other over coffee and cake at the NRV. From Friday, Anastasiya Winkel, who is heavily involved in helping refugees, will be sailing with a Ukrainian team at the Helga Cup. The Olympic sixth in the 470 will then continue her new mixed campaign with her husband at the helm. The duo is one of the most promising teams in the German Sailing Team in the battle for just one German starting place in the 470 Mixed at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Helga Cup will be officially opened on Friday evening by Sports Senator Andy Grote, DSV President Mona Küppers, HSB President Katharina von Kodolitsch and NRV Vice President Volker Ernst together with the participants and guests at the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. Andy Grote said in advance: "With the Helga Cup as the most important women's regatta in the world, Hamburg is sending a strong signal for more visibility of women in sport for the fifth year running. No regatta format that has been established in recent years has attracted as much attention as this event. We are proud of that! The NRV is always bringing a breath of fresh air to sailing with new ideas and is making it accessible and tangible for everyone this year with the participation of inclusive boats. That is pure Active City Spirit!" The Helga Cup final will take place on Sunday at around 2 pm directly in front of the NRV harbour. The HSC Women Team, which is competing for the Mamma Centre Foundation this year, is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the way there. The team around top helmswoman Silke Basedow is aiming for its third title in its fifth participation.