Helga Cup: Victory in the light wind thriller - "Totally unreal, mega run"

Last weekend, 60 volunteers ensured that the world's largest women's regatta on Hamburg's Outer Alster was not only an exciting sailing festival on land, but also on the water. The eighth edition of the Helga Cup ended on Sunday in very light winds with surprise winners in both classes.

Helga Cup: first last, then first

In the inclusive RS Venture Connect class, the motto of the "women's only" Helga Cup regatta was "the last will be first": in 2024, Daniela Möller had not made it past last place. Now she won with helmswoman Renate Schröder and could hardly believe her success. As the final itself could not be held on Sunday due to the near calm, the winners were crowned according to their results in the fleet races.

The teams Mottenmodus, Windbräute, Team Nomine, Team Sophia, Alstersailor and Team 3,5 had qualified for the final of the RS Venture Connect class. However, with seven first places, Team Alstersailor went into the final as the top favourites. However, after two and a half days of ideal sailing conditions, the Helga Cup ran out of the weather luck it had enjoyed so much in the past.

With the onset of rain, the wind died after the qualifying races on Sunday. This particularly affected the sailors in the RS Venture Connect. Their final race had to be cancelled due to a lack of wind. The final placings were determined by the classification after the main round races. It was tough for the defending champions: eleven-year-old Nomine Fabian and her sailing partner Jola Schönebeck from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein.

Grooving in with great teamwork

The team had started the final in second place and had hoped to repeat last year's acclaimed success. Due to the cancellation of the race, however, the pair ended up with silver in this year's Helga Cup. Bronze went to Team Sophia, with Doris Wilke at the helm and the youngest participant Sophia Hein (9). Click here for the results in RS Venture Connect.

Renate Schröder (Segler-Verein Trave e.V.) and Daniela Möller from Team Alstersailor were delighted to win the Helga Cup. It was Möller's second participation in the Helga Cup after 2024. Last year, she was a little unlucky to finish in last place. The joy of victory was all the greater now. "We had some problems with the boat at the beginning, but then we got into the groove. It went better and better and was great teamwork. I'm very happy about the win and that I had such a great sailing partner."

In the J/70 class, the light wind showdown took place on Sunday on Hamburg's Outer Alster in front of the jetties of the host Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. A total of ten crews lined up for the final. Fiven, who went into the decision as the front runners after the main round, also took their chance in the breeze of the final after previously showing class performances on the windier days.

Winners of the Helga Cup: Fiven ahead of Nordkomplott

The Fiven women from the city of Brandenburg, Berlin and Hamburg first met at a Helga Cup party in Hamburg in 2023. At that time, all three sailors were still sailing in other crews. Helmswoman Helen Fischer remained from the "original fives". She had brought Ulrike Heck and Martina Braune from Segelclub Märkischer Adler e.V. and Ulrike Ellmer from Hamburg on board.

It's completely unreal, it just went really well." Ulrike Elmer

"It was our second regatta together. We came second at Lake Starnberg three weeks ago and fancied our chances at the Helga Cup. But we didn't expect to win," said Ulrike Ellmer happily. The sailors defended the fleet lead they had gained in the main round in fresh, often challenging gusty and shifty winds in the final flautenkrimi with a good overview and composure on board.

Team Nordkomplott sailed to second place with the 49erFX European champions Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille from Mühlenberger Segel-Club. With Nacra 17 Olympic bronze medallist Alicia Stuhlemmer and Bundesliga sailor Laura Bo Voß in one boat, Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille took silver in their Helga Cup J/70 premiere. Bronze went to the Mamma Centre Foundation team from the Hamburg Sailing Club with helmswoman Juliane Zepp, Marion Rommel, Maren Hahlbrock and Lea Beele.

111 races until the Helga Cup final

With almost 380 female sailors, the Helga Cup 2025 was characterised by good and challenging sailing conditions in the qualifying races. A total of 73 crews with female athletes from eleven countries were in action on Hamburg's Outer Alster. 61 teams dominated the races in the J/70 class, twelve in the RS Venture Connect class. In a total of 111 races up to the finals, the women enjoyed plenty of sailing fun. Click here for the results in the J/70.

Taking part in the Helga Cup was a project close to her heart for professional sailor Susann Beucke, who competed as the helmswoman of the MamaSEAtas team with women suffering from cancer. Beucke had taken a four-day break from offshore training in Brittany for the regatta. Sanni Beucke said: "The effort was totally worth it. It was a great event with incredibly likeable women and a great atmosphere. It was more about taking part than winning. It's great that women with very different levels of sailing experience can take part. I left the event energised."

The Helga Cup also marked an extraordinary weekend for Anna Barth, 49erFX sailor and tactician in the German SailGP team. She took over the tiller from Sanni Beucke for a few races and enjoyed sailing with the MamaSeatas. The Hamburg-born strategist in Erik Heil's Germany SailGP team said in her home town: "I was touched by the women's story. Sailing with them was great fun and felt like we had known each other forever."

Partnership: GER-SailGP team and "We are us"

This weekend, Anna Barth was a good example of the Helga Cup's networking and pushing qualities, which not only connects women, but also campaigns and projects. The professional sailor with Olympic ambitions in the 49erFX skiff alongside her helmswoman Emma Kohlhoff reported that the German SailGP team will be cooperating with "Wir sind Wir - Inclusion in Sailing e.V." in the future.

Together, the German SailGP racing team of entrepreneur Thomas Riedel and four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and the dedicated association want to further promote inclusion in sailing. "It's a great idea to make sailing possible for everyone and to share the feeling of what it's like on the water," says the sailor.

As part of the partnership between the Germany SailGP Team by Deutsche Bank and the inclusive sailing club Wir sind Wir - Inclusion in Sailing e. V. under the motto "#AlleAnBord" (#All aboard), the event will take place on 17 June. an open webinar planned. This involves the question: "How inclusive is German sailing and what is needed for real participation?"

Organisers take positive stock

"We had good sailing conditions and were able to organise 111 races in conditions similar to those on Lake Garda," said NRV Club Manager Klaus Lahme in his positive summary. This was also important for him and the sailors: "I would like to thank the more than 60 volunteers, our race committee, Tina Buch and Jens Hahlbrock with their teams, umpire chief Svenja Hünsch and her team. They all did a great job!"

Christoph Holstein, State Councillor of the Ministry of the Interior and Sport, thanked the sailors for their commitment at the award ceremony and emphasised that inclusion and women's sailing must become even more visible in society. From popular sport to competitive sport: the Helga Cup is one of the top events of the Hamburg Active City initiative.

Helga Cup initiator and motor Sven Jürgensen said on the final evening: "We'll keep going, the next Helga Cup will be in 2026." The ninth edition of the Helga Cup will take place from 11 to 14 June 2026 on Hamburg's Outer Alster and at the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein.

The Sunday final of the 8th Helga Cup 2025: