German Sailing League: Founding meeting in Hamburg

The German Sailing League initiated by the Hamburg-based Konzeptwerft shipyard of Sailing-Team-Germany co-founders Oliver Schwall and Arne Dost as well as Kathrin Adlkofer and Jochen Schümann is entering its foundation phase. At the meeting with at least ten interested clubs on 7 April at the Konzeptwerft headquarters in Hamburg, the course is to be set for the premiere year 2013. The aim is to use the Bundesliga to identify the best all-round sailors in Germany and the clubs operating successfully behind the teams. "There are many good and top-class regattas in Germany," says Bundesliga project manager Benjamin Jeuthe, "but so far there has been a lack of a consistent series that allows the sailors and their clubs to compare their performances. The German Sailing League can determine: Who are Germany's best sailors, who are the most successful clubs. After all, there is always a club and its structure behind a sailing team."

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At the inaugural meeting, the regatta format, venues, different boat classes and number of regattas will be discussed. The meeting will be followed by an official announcement. Interested clubs can then apply to organise and participate. "We expect an open discussion," says Jeuthe. The following clubs have already confirmed their participation: Bayerischer Yacht-Club, Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club, Flensburger Yacht-Club, Lindauer Segel-Club, Lübecker Yacht-Club, Mühlenberger Segelclub, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Segelklub Bayer-Uerdingen, Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee, Württembergischer Yacht-Club, Yachtclub Radolfzell. The organisers have received further expressions of intent. The Bundesliga should be open to all clubs that actively promote competitive sailing.

Anyone wishing to take part must act quickly after the meeting and submission of the invitation to tender: The registration deadline is 15 April. The upper limit for the premiere year is 18 clubs with their respective teams. Project manager Jeuthe is expecting five regattas for the first Bundesliga year. The aim is to organise these regattas in different boat classes, such as the J70, the B/One, the Melges 24 and the SB20, in order to prevent the specialists from being pushed through. "The variety of requirements is important to us," says Jeuthe, "it will also be fundamental that the same number of points can be won in each regatta." Match race and fleet race formats will also be mixed. Online broadcasts of the races on the internet are planned.

The clubs can and should form an appropriate squad for participation in the Bundesliga. For the time being, there will probably be no commitment to a specific helmsman or helmswoman. The teams can initially change from regatta to regatta within their clubs and squads. "So far, clubs have mostly been perceived as the home of top performers," says Jeuthe, "we want to change that and show the clubs as active competitors alongside their respective squad sailors."