Olympic bid: Germany's sailors advertise for the Olympics

The centre of German sailing is Hamburg this weekend. At the opening of the Hamburg boat show Hanseboot, the German sailing celebrities met for a photo shoot at the final of the Bundesliga on the grounds of the host Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. Together, three-time Olympic champion Jochen Schümann, round-the-world sailors Tim Kröger, Boris Herrmann and Jörg Riechers as well as "Tutima" skipper Kirsten "Kirsche" Harmstorf and Olympic sixth-placed Robert Stanjek flew the flag for Hamburg and Kiel's Olympic bid.

At the meeting of sailing celebrities at the start of the Hanseboot, two-time America's Cup winner Jochen Schümann, who is also fighting for a happy ending in the Bundesliga this weekend as helmsman for his home club Yachtclub Berlin-Grünau, said: "Organising the Olympic Games in Hamburg will be a huge celebration for all sports fans and is a great challenge for the whole of Germany. Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in our own country will spur our athletes on to top performances. I first experienced this in 1972 at the Olympic youth camp and then as an Olympian myself. Of course I want to help!"

On the grounds of his home club NRV, two-time America's Cup participant, world champion and Admiral's Cup winner Tim Kröger said: "For me, the Games in my adopted home of Hamburg and in the proven Olympic area of Kiel are a double affair of the heart. I would like to say to the critics: let yourselves be carried away by the passion, the willingness to perform and the attitude to life of the athletes. They can do international friendship better than many others. Let's go fire and flame. Together!"

Offshore record hunter Boris Herrmann, who is currently about to start the legendary Jules Verne Trophy after two successful circumnavigations of the globe, said at the photo shoot in the Hanseatic city: "We can present ourselves to the world as great hosts and set an example with values such as fairness, equality and tolerance. We are also striving to organise the most sustainable Games - an aspect that we are particularly sensitised to as sailors."

Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer, Hamburg's State Councillor Christoph Holstein and DSV President Andreas Lochbrunner took part in this "sailing party" in favour of the Olympic bid. Kämpfer said: "It's great that we are experiencing such positive and broad support for our bid in sailing!"