The tug-of-war over the rights, organisation and direction of the new German Sailing League appears to be over: The twelve clubs that have already qualified for the second season of the 1st German Sailing League founded the Deutsche Segel-Liga e.V. (DSL e.V.) as founding members on 15 March in Hamburg. After the relegation in Glücksburg, in which a total of 63 clubs will participate from 4 to 6 April and compete for qualification for the remaining places in the 1st and all places in the 2nd German Sailing League, five more first division clubs and 18 new second division clubs will join as members of the association.
Following the successful introduction of the German Sailing League last year, the structures are now being consolidated. In addition to the Deutsche Segel-Liga e.V., the German Sailing Association (DSV) and Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga GmbH are also involved in the new format.
In future, all clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga will be members of DSL e.V., as is the case in league formats for other sports. The new DSL e.V. will become a member of the DSV and will organise the Bundesliga on its own responsibility in accordance with the "relevant rules and regulations of the DSV". The association will represent the interests of its members vis-à-vis the DSV and commission Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga GmbH with the overall organisation of the German Sailing League.
Chairman of the DSL e.V. will be 59-year-old Eckart Diesch from the Württemberg Yacht Club (WYC), who won gold in the Flying Dutchman with his brother Jörg at the 1976 Olympic Games. Florian Weser, 34, from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) is the deputy chairman. The experienced Hamburg tax consultant Oliver Kosanke, President of the Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC), will take over as Treasurer.
Diesch said at the founding event: "The German Sailing League is a format with enormous potential for the future of sailing and German sailing clubs. The league motivates and activates the members, creates identification and binds talented youngsters to the sailing clubs."
The founding fathers of the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga GmbH, Oliver Schwall and Arne Dost, also believe that the triangular relationship between the association, clubs and the GmbH, which was not exactly based on mutual affection at the beginning, is "on the right track". However, the parties involved are still working on the corresponding contracts to seal the league pact. Today they are sitting together in Hamburg and negotiating throughout the day.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
