Mini sailing is more popular than ever at this year's boot Düsseldorf and is being fuelled by both successful Mini Transat graduates and ambitious newcomers. The next generation is very actively promoting their plans and projects at the trade fair.
Mini-Transat graduates Hendrik Lenz and Victor David, who competed in the small boat race across the pond in 2025, are already well-known among the dedicated group of the shorthanded offshore community. With Jannes Llull, Alisa Klauenberg, Sebastian Mainz, Carla Hénon-Steck and 14-year-old Konstantin Kurzeja, other potential successors to 2021 participants Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink, who sailed into the limelight with their Mini-Transat starts in 2021, are now in sight.
Sailing, Boating, Yachting: Team Next Generation is growing
Burke and Fink now sail under the team name Next Generation Sailing, Next Generation Boating and now also under Next Generation Yachting for its new northern German branch in cooperation with partner Rasmus Töpsch. This is the name under which their team is operating as they set up their second shipyard and refit site in Kiel. The large hall is located at Groß Hasselrod 7 near Kiel's airfield in Holtenau, not far from the large shipyard facilities in Friederichsort on the inner fjord.
"We definitely have a good network there and a lot of potential with Pure Yachts on the quay wall, with Rademacher, who have built up a great reputation there. And we now have a very large, fully covered hall that offers a lot of opportunities," says Lennart Burke, describing the new start at the second location next to the Hamburg headquarters of Next Generation Boating.
At boot, Burke and Fink have their own next-generation stand in Hall 15 right next to the stage in the Sailing Centre, where they present their projects in the Class40, in the Mini class with the exhibited Vector 6.50 "Ikigai" and the expanded shipyard activities. The duo would even rather be fighting for another strong stage result in the Globe40 in the South Pacific, but this has been cancelled after the boomerang breakage and the abandonment of stage three to Sydney three impossible.
Next Generation: the dream of having your own boat for Globe40 2028
Now, after the upcoming repairs on La Réunion and the transfer by Melwin Fink and crew via Cape Town to Recife, they want to sail the last leg and bring the race to a worthy conclusion on the sixth and final leg from 29 March to mid-April at the finish in Lorient. "We want to attack again and challenge the competition," said Lennart Burke in Düsseldorf. He also looked into the distance: "We would like to settle the score and sail the Globe40 again. 2028 would be the start. Our dream would be to build our own boat."
Burke and Fink are currently using their involuntary time ashore to further develop their shipyard business. They are pressing ahead with their projects and will be showcasing their commitment at boot Düsseldorf in Hall 15, Stand G04 until next weekend. They will also be joined by the Mini-Transat aspirant from their own team: "works driver" Tom Wehde. He will be demonstrating the Mini 1124 "Ikigai" at the Next Generation stand, with which he intends to take part in the Mini-Transat in 2027.
On the other side of Hall 15, you will find stand A03 from the next generation. This is where budding young miniists and the youngsters already tested in the latest Mini-Transat 2025 Hendrik Lenz and Victor David have joined forces to form a group. Young sailors advertise their projects, plans and dreams. They are Jannes Llull under the keyword "offshore racing with responsibility", Carla Hénon-Steck ("After big comes small and now alone") and Alisa Klauenberg ("Setting a New Course"), who have their sights set on the Mini-Transat 2027. Each and every one of them is worth a fascinating discussion at the trade fair.
A teenager with XL plans: first Mini-Transat, then Vendée Globe
On course for the Mini-Transat 2029, the 14-year-old Konstantin Kurzeja ("Passion for Performance") and Sebastian Mainz ("Plötzlich Mini 650"). They are the next generation but one. Konstantin Kurzeja is only 14 years old, a member of the Bavarian Yacht Club and well connected there. He successfully sails 29ers with Julius Loesti and wants to be the youngest starter in the Mini Transat in 2029.
My long-term goal is to sail the Vendée Globe one day. That's been my dream since I was nine years old." Konstantin Kurzeja
Boris Herrmann is the role model. The German offshore star's participation in the Vendée Globe inspired Konstantin when he was still at primary school. The eighth-grader already has his boat for the mini-transat and is already planning intensive training and regatta participation this year. The training programme includes courses between Italy and Spain covering a total of 2700 nautical miles.
Konstantin Kurzeja sails a Vector 6.50 that was launched in January 2025. The family bought the boat from Burke and Fink, who now also have the mould and will be able to build minis themselves in the future. The boy and the sea - at boot, Konstantin Kurzeja, like the other likeable representatives of the next generation, will be talking about his story, the current state of skiff sailing and his ambitious mini plans on stage at the Sailing Center on 22, 23 and 24 January at 3 pm. Further stage appearances by the offshore sailors can be found here.
