Only six points separate the three leading clubs in the 1st Bundesliga in the battle for the German club championship ahead of the decision on Lake Starnberg this long weekend. After five of six regattas, the seven-time record winners from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein had taken the lead for the first time in this twelfth Bundesliga season shortly before the decision. With 18 points in their league account, the league leaders are on course for title number eight.
Bundesliga final: Who will be the German club champion?
However, just three points behind the Alster sailors, local rivals Mühlenberger Segel-Club (21 points) have also put themselves in a strong starting position. The Hamburg duel is given added spice by the fact that Seglervereinigung 1903 Berlin is by no means without a chance in the Starnberg Arena. With 24 points ahead of the showdown, the Berliners could still be in contention for the title if things don't go to plan for the Hamburg team.
The Berlin quartet comes with plenty of experience and bite: Erik Witzmann, Wolfram Kramer, Daniel Mauter and Andreas Wiener are at the start. Three of them recently shone at the finals of the Sailing Champions League in Vilamoura. Their league series with 5th, 1st, 6th, 8th and 4th place shows that the capital city team has what it takes to finish in the top ranks. With fourth place in the same area where the league final is now taking place, the SV03 crew has only just scratched the podium.
The Bundesliga sailors from Mühlenberger Segel-Club, who led the standings for four regattas before NRV overtook them at the penultimate event of the season and relegated them to second place, are also very hungry for the title. With a deficit of just three points, Magnus Simon, Lynn Hafemann, Finn Olsen and Matteo Wolgast will be in attack mode on Lake Starnberg.
Score points in direct comparison
The Elbe sailors are ready for the final. Helmsman Magnus Simon, who was already able to lift the championship trophy into the sky once before in 2021 with his crew from the OneKiel club, said: "We are relying on experienced and seasoned sailors so that we have security during the manoeuvres and can concentrate on tactics and strategy during the event."
Commenting on the final plan in the battle for the first club championship title for the Mühlenberger Segel-Club, Magnus Simon said: "We will try to put the NRV under pressure in the first meeting in order to make up points in the direct comparison. There is little at stake for us, the MSC is behind us and is happy that the season has gone so well so far."
This is also the view of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, which will have contested six league events this year with five different helmsmen. "Last year, when Tobias Schadewaldt announced his retirement from the Bundesliga after winning the championship for the NRV, many people said that there would finally be room for other teams at the top of the table," says Klaus Lahme.
NRV also successful in generational change
The NRV Sports Director continued: "We are in the middle of a generational change and have used five different helmsmen for six match days this year. We were brave throughout the season and trusted in the potential of our young sailors." However, this also led the home harbour of the NRV Olympic Team back to the top of the table shortly before the end of the Bundesliga season. Can the top position be maintained in the final?
Luise Wanser wants to fight for it at the tiller. The 470 world champion has just competed with the women from AC Team Germany in the Women's America's Cup. Although the German sailors and their 24-year-old skipper Maru Scheel had to learn a lot there, they were part of a historic premiere and are among the few who now have valuable sailing experience on the flying AC40 mini-cuppers.
Luise Wanser said with a wink before the league final: "There were six boats in the Women's America's Cup and six in the league. But now, compared to the AC40s, things are moving at a snail's pace. Like the game of snail racing of old. But that's exciting too! Different, but interesting. Tom Heinrich is also in my team. There was wind on the first day of training. We found ourselves racing across the lake with only half wind because we wanted to go fast."
Bundesliga showdown: calm or foehn?
The NRV team will also be joined by Tom Heinrich, who also competed in AC40 foiling competitions in Barcelona with the youth team from AC Team Germany. 470 sailor Juliana Adelssen and Ilca helmsman Henrik Peters are in the same boat as the two America's Cup contenders. Henrik Peters is part of the successful team of young J/70 sailors at the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, who also won the German championship title in the J/70 on Lake Starnberg.
In addition to the battle for the championship title, parts of the first division fleet are also preoccupied with the fight against relegation, while the second division teams are pursuing their own goals. At the same time, the light winds forecast for the coming days are causing headaches for the organisers and the organisers from the Bayerischer Yacht-Club. "There is very little wind forecast, we really hope that we can sail at least six flights. It would be a shame if we had to crown a champion without sailing again," says Anke Nowak.
The Managing Director of the German Sailing League added: "When the foehn sets in, the light wind experts will benefit the most in the last races of the season." The Sailing Bundesliga races will be broadcast live on wedoTV on Friday and Saturday from 12 noon. The Bundesliga sailors Till Krüger from Mühlenberger Segel-Club and Albert Gerstmaier from Konstanzer Yacht-Club will present the programme.
They have just been foiling on the AC40 off Barcelona - now Luise Wanser and Tom Heinrich are in action with the NRV team at the Bundesliga final on the J/70 yachts:
