For the 19th time since the inaugural year of 2008, Germany's most successful ocean-going yacht was honoured at Hamburg City Hall in front of around 200 guests from the worlds of politics, business and sailing. For the year 2025, the prize went to the modified GP 42 "X-Day" sailing for the Plöner Segel-Verein. Her team, led by owner Walter Watermann from Dortmund and skipper Lars Hückstädt from Plön, received the prize for their performance in the 51st year of sailing. Rolex Fastnet Race 2025.
With a fastnet ride to the German Offshore Award
The crew with the speedy Farr design had raced to eighth place in the overall IRC rankings in an outstanding final sprint in the field of 380 Fastnet yachts. "X-Day" made it into the Fastnet top ten in a demanding race in which the tidal hurdles in the final sprint slowed down many of the top boats. State Councillor Christoph Holstein said in his laudatory speech that the boat was "organised by a wonderful duo of owner and skipper who, together with their team, prepare everything for great success".
And so, as State Councillor Christoph Holstein said, "the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 was a great success." In his speech, Holstein also recalled the course of the race: "After the start, it took around 30 hours over 345 nautical miles until the yacht was able to round the famous rock at around 4 p.m. on 28 July. The reward for a cross there was the long space sheet course to the finish in Cherbourg. In 18.5 hours, the yacht sped across the English Channel at over 15 knots. While she was still in 60th place in the intermediate classification at Fastnet Rock, she finally crossed the finish line as the 37th monohull yacht. What a ride!"
"It's a great honour for us," said skipper Lars Hückstädt on receiving the Senate Prize. "The nomination was a big surprise. Of course, it was also a surprise that you and you chose us. We are delighted! Above all, congratulations to all the other nominated yachts. We are really delighted with this wonderful surprise. Shortly before the sailing season, the anticipation is now even greater than it already was.
Versatile nominees for the German Offshore Award
In addition to the "X-Day", four other candidates were nominated for the German Offshore Award: the Swan 441 "Best Buddies" (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) of Kay-Johannes Wrede and Susann Eggers-Wrede for her courageous and hard-fought victory in the demanding Greek Aegean 600 long-distance race. In addition, the Baltic 500 fathers Rasmus Töpsch and Cord Hall third place in the two-handed Transquadra regatta sailed JPK 10.10 "Sharifa".
The nominees also included the "Red Bandits" from the Bavarian Yacht Club Botin 56 "Black Pearl" sailed to ninth place in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Owner Stefan Jentzsch had made her available to the young team after his mast broke at the Admiral's Cup when his own boat could not be used. Last but not least was Jost Stollmann's Solaris 80RS "Alithia", competing for the Düsseldorfer Yacht-Club, for her performance in the Sydney Hobart Race was nominated for the German Offshore Award. The team had sailed to seventh place in the PHS classification and 18th place overall.
The Wehring & Wolfe Youth Prize was won by the successful J/70-Bundesliga junior team from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein at the German Offshore Award reception. The crew, led by 22-year-old Mats Schönbeck, had already won the International German Championship title in the J/70 last year. This was followed by double success in 2025, winning the German club championship in the national league and the season's victory in the junior national league.
The almost centenarian who wowed the audience
The audience's favourite on the evening of the German Offshore Awards was a man who is approaching his 100th birthday this year: the Lifetime Award for his lifetime achievement in sailing was presented to Gerd Trulsen, Honorary Chairman of the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt (HVS), whose motto "Sailing the world with young crews" he still actively serves to this day. In the Kaiser Hall of Hamburg City Hall, Gerd Trulsen easily climbed the four steps to the stage, accompanied by rapturous applause. Gerd Trulsen had steered the HVS as Chairman of the Board for over 21 years.
Far beyond this, he has been committed to the sport of sailing and the promotion of young talent. Now in his 100th year, Trulsen continues to serve the HVS, the sport of sailing and future generations as a dedicated honorary chairman. In a short speech of thanks to the enthusiastic guests, Gert Trulsen said: "I am touched, really touched." He could no longer remember some of the events from the laudatory speech by NRV Chairman Tobias König, "but I think that's my right at almost 100 years old".
On the evening dedicated to sailing, State Councillor Christoph Holstein said that the German Offshore Award had "become a tradition in a sport from which we as a society can learn a lot, especially in difficult times such as those we are currently experiencing: Team spirit, reliability, discipline, professionalism, confidence and courage. Especially in difficult times. These are attributes that characterise ocean sailing and, at the same time, are probably more important today than ever before in a time of fundamental upheaval."
Sailing as a role model for social cohesion
Christoph Holstein continued: "This is also fitting for Hamburg, because in a time characterised by disruption and understandable uncertainty among people, our aim is to work out what contributions sport can make here in our case to keep the world, our country, our city and our society on course. What can sport do? It can maintain and strengthen social team spirit. It can increase people's mobility and health. It can teach young people in particular to respect the achievements of others."
It would be nice if our company was like the team of a good, successful ocean-going sailing yacht." Christoph Holstein
Hamburg's State Councillor for Sport did not miss the opportunity to promote Hamburg's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036, 2024 or 2044. In this way, the Hamburg team decided early on in favour of Kiel as a sailing partner in the national competition. "Hamburg is once again bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Together with Kiel." Holstein described the Olympics in Hamburg as "not just an opportunity for sport, but for the entire city society".
German Offshore Award: Boris Herrmann remains the record winner
The German Offshore Award is now sailing towards its 20th edition. The most prominent and most frequent winner in the history of the German Offshore Award remains six-time circumnavigator Boris Herrmann, whose boats were honoured a total of three times in 2010 ("Beluga Racer"), 2019 and 2022 ("Malizia - Seaexplorer"). Jörd Riechers (2011 and 2013 with the Class40 "Mare.de") and Jens Kellinghusen (2014 and 2015 with the Ker 51 "Varuna") each won the big silver disc twice.
The NDR reported briefly on the German Offshore Award in its Hamburg Journal programme on Friday evening. The pictures can be seen here from minute 18:30.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
