Strong field of participants
"The current figures show that 27 nations will be represented in Travemünde - from all over Europe, but also from America, Asia and Australia. A total of 745 boats with almost 1,500 participants have registered," says Jens Kath, Sporting Director of Travemünde Week, and he continues: "There is a wide range of athletes, from children in the Teeny and Optimist classes to experienced Olympic participants and world champions. Peter Gilmour, an America's Cup winner, is also taking part. So we can rightly say: at the Travemünde Week, kids meet sailing legends."
With 244 starters, the Optimists will have the largest fleet at the start of their German Youth Championship, while the Dragons will have the most prominent sailors at their Grand Prix, including Peter Gilmour and 1996 Olympic champion Yevgen Braslavets.
The first regatta start is traditionally given to the sea sailors. On Saturday at 11 a.m., they are sent out onto the course for their short races, the so-called Up&Downs. One of the highlights of this Travemünde Week starts at 12 noon with the Dragon Grand Prix.
In addition to the World, European and German Championships, the Volksbank Rotspon Cup is also eagerly awaited over the course of the week until 28 July. This traditionally starts on TW Wednesday, 24 July, at 12 noon. This year, Reinhard Meyer, Economics Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, will be competing in the match race between the Mayor of Lübeck and a fellow politician. In his own words, Meyer is very much looking forward to the duel, which will be held on historic yachts in the so-called 12 mR class.
The Volksbank Rotspon Cup will be presented, as will the show races in the Trave. The Trave Races form the link between sailing and the festival on the respective afternoons at 5 pm.
Regatta programme for the 135th Travemünde Week
World Championships
22 to 27 July: International Canoe
23 to 26 July: Flying Junior
Grand Prix
20 to 23 July: Kites
European Cup
22 to 27 July: Javelin
German Championships
22 to 27 July: DM Taifun
23 to 27 July: IDJM Optimist
25 to 28 July: IDJM Teeny
25 to 27 July: IDM Starboot
German Open
20 to 22 July: J/22
20 to 23 July: RS Aero
20 to 21 July: Hobie 16
20 to 23 July: Finn Dinghy
21 to 23 July: Dyas
24 to 27 July: Kielzugvogel
25 to 27 July: Olympic dinghy
25 to 27 July: Conger
25 to 28 July: Formula 18
Sailing
20 to 21 July: Up & Down
25 to 26 July: Long distance round Fehmarn
27 to 28 July: Lübecker Nachrichten
Middle distance
27 to 28 July: IOR 1-tone meeting
Committed to the environment
In addition to the guests and sailors, the Travemünde Week feels particularly committed to the environment. As an event for wind-powered sailing, this is obvious. But travelling to the event, setting it up and staging it all take their toll on CO2 emissions. "We initiated a sustainability process last year, which we are continuing right up to certification. This includes not only taking stock, but also introducing very specific measures," says Frank Schärffe, Managing Director of Travemünder Woche GmbH. "Avoiding plastic waste and disposable crockery has been part of this for years. To this end, we will be testing the use of inflatable boats with electric motors this year. They are currently being brought over from Sweden. We are also setting up a collection centre for used sails so that they can be recycled. We are also cooperating with the Schleswig-Holstein Sailing Association and the Schleswig workshops, which sew bags from the sailcloth. And we will be reforesting a mixed forest near Scharbeutz in cooperation with the Schleswig-Holstein state forestry organisation to compensate for this. We are also offering all guests and sailors the opportunity to buy a maple seedling."
Large festival programme
Visitors can once again expect a wide-ranging programme on land. Bands from various genres will perform on the Stadtwerke Lübeck festival stage in the Brügmanngarten, the König Pilsener stage at the Lotsenstation and the SlowDownStage on Priwall - from singer-songwriters to regional pop and top 40 bands to world star Ray Wilson. The former Genesis singer will provide a musical highlight on the first Saturday, 20 July, on the stage in the Brügmanngarten, reported Undine Heider, Managing Director of the uba Hamburg agency, which is organising the land programme.
As started last year, the festival area will once again run from Bertlingstraße in the north via the beach and Trave promenade to the ferry terminal. On the opposite side, on Priwall, a programme is also planned for all ten days, so that there will be a promenade circuit around the mouth of the Trave via the ferries.
An eye-catcher in the land programme will be the Ferris wheel, which will be set up in the Brügmanngarten this time. And the two beach clubs on the Nordermole are responsible for the long party nights. Entertainment and culinary delights will be provided along the entire festival mile.
