The German Sailing League (Deutscher Segel-Liga e.V.) is setting a new course for the Bundesliga. This was announced by the club’s management following the finale of the 14th season at the Seglerhaus am Wannsee sailing club It has been announced. The club’s chairman, Peter Weichsel, announced that by 2027, “many of the league’s building blocks in Germany” would be “reorganised and made fit for the future”.
An overview of the announced changes to the league
- New programme: The Bundesliga will kick off in Friedrichshafen from 16 to 18 April 2027. The series will then continue in Überlingen, Berlin, Kiel/Strande and Warnemünde, culminating in the final in Hamburg from 14 to 16 October. For the first time, the dates for the Sailing Bundesliga and the German Junior Sailing League are to be closely coordinated. The German Sailing League (DSL) has stated: “The organising clubs will play a much greater role in this and will help shape the league.”
- New boats: The DSL has signed a four-year contract with ShipShape and Thomas Wieting. The contract stipulates the provision of twelve J/70s for the Bundesliga and the Junior Sailing League. In the 1st Sailing Bundesliga, six new J/70s will be put into service in 2027. The agreement was made possible thanks to the support of Mittelmann’s Werft and J/Boats.
- New sails: DSL has secured Real Sailing from Damp, with its managing director Martin Jansen, as a new sponsor for the sails of the Sailing Bundesliga for 2027. According to DSL, the partnership is set to continue beyond 2007. The club expects to receive a new set of sails every year.
- New social media presence: The Hamburg-based agency Liquid Words – Marine Communications, headed by Dr Bendix Hügelmann, is the league’s new social media partner. According to the DSL, the communications expert and keelboat sailor will develop and implement the social media strategy for the German Sailing Bundesliga. The DSL describes this move as “an important milestone in the reorganisation and a foundation for generating more sponsorship revenue”.
- New Europe series: Together with the sailing leagues from Poland, Austria and Switzerland, the DSL intends to launch the “Eurosaf Sailing Champions League Series” organise. The 2027 Sailing League European Championship, due to take place from 2 to 4 April in Punat (Croatia), is set to kick off the series, with the organisers expecting between 15 and 20 teams to take part.
Bundesliga 2027: “The tournament is guaranteed to go ahead”
In parallel with the announced changes, the German Sailing League (Deutscher Segel-Liga e.V.) has informed its members in a separate letter about the “Planning framework for your clubs”. In the summary, the DSL states: “The league is guaranteed to go ahead in 2027. We are well-positioned for the future. The budget will remain at the 2026 level. We will also keep entry fees at the same level.”
DSL Chairman Peter Weichsel, Deputy Chairman Markus Westerschwalbesloh and Treasurer Tom Lukas Voigt will remain in their posts as members of the Executive Board nAh, the good old days – and the tough times – in the league aiming for calmer waters. Joining the team – see ‘New Developments’ – are Thomas Wieting and his company ShipShape, who will be responsible for the J/70 fleet, and Bendix Hügelmann, who will handle social media. According to information from DSL, Heiko Thölmann will also be joining as a contracted service provider for the event organisation.
The Bundesliga is also set to be given a new technical platform for the new season. According to the DSL, IT and AI expert Gundram Leifert from the Akademischer Segler-Verein Warnemünde is working on this as a member of the league’s volunteer team. The DSL has announced Real Sailing (see ‘New Developments’) as a sponsor, as well as the return of SAP with SAP Sailing Analytics. It was also announced that further discussions with potential partners are ongoing and that the DSL will use “50 cents from every euro of sponsorship revenue to reduce membership fees”.
An overview of Bundesliga budgets and registration fees
The DSL has announced an annual budget of 455,300 euros for its member clubs for the new season. The registration fee for first-division clubs is 14,100 euros. Second-division clubs will pay €10,000 for the 2027 season. This means that fees remain at this year’s level. The DSL Cup, taking place this coming weekend at the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club, will also determine which teams are promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga.
The DSL regards the kick-off of the cup on 24 October as the start of the new season. The notice to the league clubs states: “In effect, the DSL Cup this coming weekend marks the start of the season and is a key part of the qualification process. By the time of our general meeting on 7 November 2026, we will also know which 36 league clubs will make up the 2027 season.”
Among the Click here for the final results of the 14th Bundesliga season in 2026. The The final standings in the 2. Bundesliga can be found here. And who still remembers their Bundesliga debut in the summer of 2013? Click here for a look back at the league’s early days, which is now heading into its 15th season in 2027.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter