Clubs: A desire for performance - the new top-class sport campaign in Bavaria

Philipp Autenrieth's new job is currently unique in Germany. Since 1 January, the long-time national sailor has been the new Head of Elite Sport and Talent Development at the Bavarian Yacht Club. Alongside club manager Fabian Duttler and sports manager Nils Sternberg, the 34-year-old Autenrieth is now the third member of the full-time team, working with the club crew to ensure a strong sporting future for the club.

Bayerischer Yacht-Club: Milestone in the club's history

For the Bayerischer Yacht-Club, this decision represents "another milestone in our history". A statement from the club on the appointment of Philipp Autenrieth reads: "This landmark decision is intended to strengthen the promotion of young talent at the BYC and support the transition of young talents from the youth sector to competitive and professional sport."

Philipp Autenrieth has already accompanied leading BYC sailors at the first events, such as the Semaine Olympique Française, and initiated co-operations for the future. He is expanding the range of activities that were already very diverse at the Bavarian Yacht Club thanks to the work of Fabian Duttler, Nils Sternberg and the team. For example, the Bavarian club's "GoSailing" programme includes a beginner and advanced programme on J/70 boats.

The "Day Races" programme at the Bavarian Yacht Club is a beginner's offer for aspiring regatta sailors. The BYC Bundesliga programme is aimed at ambitious regatta sailors. Last year, the Bavarians sailed to fifth place in the first league. With Philipp Autenrieth and new approaches, the Bavarian Yacht Club now wants to make progress in competitive sport.

We want to take sailors further and we now have a manager for that." Philipp Autenrieth

The new top sports manager and talent promoter explains in detail: "We want to support the athletes more closely in future. I will be on site a lot at major regattas." Autenrieth himself joined the Bavarian Yacht Club, which is one of the largest clubs in Germany with around 1100 members, at the age of 14. He knows the club and also the challenges and hurdles, the lows and highs of a competitive sporting career.

The BYC wants to build bridges for talented people

Philipp Autenrieth says: "We have to manage to pool our resources better. Co-operation with other clubs, as is already the case with the NRV in Hamburg, is explicitly part of our initiative. That's where I see one of my tasks: to optimise this cooperation with the clubs and the association, to bring in positive drive and a winning mentality, to win medals."

Autenrieth knows that this cannot be done overnight at the push of a button. He brings his experience, staying power and thinking outside the box to the table. He says: "We as the Bavarian Yacht Club and I as Philipp Autenrieth are not going for Neuschwanstein here. We want to build something long-term, make sailing Germany better and build bridges to Olympic sport for the many talents from the south."

Targeted talent development, the mentoring of young sailors, support with career planning and long-term support through to competitive and professional sport are to flow into one another. In addition, Philipp Autenrieth wants to expand the BYC network in the area of top-class sport and create strong links to national and international organisations and competitions such as the Olympic Games, the America's Cup and the Foiling Academy Germany.

Prominent team of experts: Schümann, Wieser and Brennecke on board

In his multifaceted work, Philipp Autenrieth can also draw on the experience, advice and commitment of a team of prominent BYC experts: top sailors Markus Wieser, Jochen Schümann and "Hatari" Club Swan 50 owner, helmsman and competitive sports promoter Marcus Brennecke are flanking the new offensive, advising Philipp Autenrieth and the Bavarian Yacht Club.

Jochen Schümann, number three on the list of the most successful Olympic sailors in sporting history with three gold medals and one silver, and twice winner of the America's Cup, says: "We are convinced that Germany still has enormous potential in international sailing - but that requires structures, expertise and staying power. That's exactly where we come in at the BYC."

Club idols spur on the next generation

"Having idols in the club also spurs on the young people, who then say that they want to achieve the same," says Autenrieth, explaining the multiple effects of the commitment of the successful sailing professionals and campaign managers. The 49er Olympic sailors Jakob Meggendorfer and Andreas Spranger, who finished eleventh at their Olympic premiere in Marseille and want to do it again in their second Olympic attempt on course for LA 2028, are also regarded as role models at the Bavarian Yacht Club.

Many other projects and new ideas are now to be driven forward in Bavaria. All measures will lead to the construction of the performance centre that is currently being built in a new, glazed building on the waterfront. "There are many small clubs that cannot afford this. We have the possibilities and are working to ensure that a competitive sports dynamic develops and that we can build the competitive sports centre," says Autenrieth.

An important step in this direction has been taken with the recently concluded premium partnership between the Bavarian Yacht Club and America's Cup Team Germany GmbH (ACTG). The aim of the co-operation between the Bavarians, the ACTG and the Foiling Academy is to promote high-performance sailing in Germany in the long term, as foiling is now used at almost all top sporting events.

BYC offensive to inspire young talent

The Bavarian Yacht Club's competitive sporting activities are focussed accordingly: Foiling disciplines, preparation for the upcoming Youth & Women's America's Cup and the Olympic high-performance area are at the centre. The joint involvement in the F69 series planned with the ACTG for this season is part of the BYC's top-class sports promotion programme.

Michael Steiner, Chairman of the Bavarian Yacht Club, says: "With this partnership, we are joining forces to offer ambitious sailors in Germany a professional platform. We are creating targeted transitions from young talent to the top international level - at the highest technological and sporting level."

The partnership now agreed between the BYC and ACTG/FA has a clear goal, as both sides emphasise in a press statement: "To permanently establish Sailing Germany as a world leader." They want to be ready and not start from scratch again if the opportunity for an America's Cup commitment arises in the long term. According to the association and the ACTG, a central building block for this is the involvement in the F69 series, which prepares sailors for possible future involvement in the Youth and Women's America's Cup.

AC40 simulator at the Bavarian Yacht Club

One centrepiece of the partnership is the AC40 simulator, which will be stationed at the Bavarian Yacht Club in future. This state-of-the-art training platform will enable sailors to prepare for the demands of the AC40 class in a targeted and realistic manner. As was the case last year in Barcelona, the upcoming Youth & Women's America's Cup could also be held on the speedy foilers for four-person crews.

Two-time Olympian Marc Pickel is Managing Director of the ACTG/FA and a long-time top athlete. He sees the cooperation with the Bayerischer Yacht-Club as trend-setting: "We need strong clubs like the BYC to be able to realise our vision in the long term. The joint work with the BYC in the F69 series is more than just participation in regattas for us - it is the next step in the development of a real performance centre for foiling sailing in Germany."

In addition to sporting, technical and structural tasks, Philipp Autenrieth also wants to promote and work on mental strength. His assessment: "A winning mentality is something we need to work on in sailing Germany, but it's also something that can be put to good use beyond the sport."

A world champion for the next generation

He should know, having won the 2022 World Championship in the Olympic 470 Mixed with his coxswain Luise Wanser (NRV). Is competitive sport still worthwhile today? Philipp Autenrieth is convinced it is. He says: "I believe that taking responsibility and developing as a person is a very central point. The will is important. Everyone has a different starting point. But everyone can ask themselves: What would be possible?"

The two top teams from Italy and the USA showed what is possible in the final of the Youth America's Cup off Barcelona last year - the German talents would also like to be able to perform at this level next time:

And so it went at the Barcelona final of the Women's America's Cup between the women's crews from Italy and Great Britain: