The Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz stands for many firsts: For the first time ever, the fast-paced sailing league will be racing in a German sailing area. The SailGP stars are visiting Germany for the first time. Erik Kosegarten-Heil and his crew will be sailing in front of a home crowd for the first time. For the first time, XL grandstands and a racing stadium for more than 5,000 people per day will be erected in a German harbour city. For the first time, such a sailing spectacle will take place off the picturesque chalk coast of Rügen.
SailGP inclusive with Wir sind Wir
The list could be continued with many more firsts. It is worth noting that an inclusive sailing regatta will be held for the first time in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the opening of the Sailing Summit. The Germany SailGP and the Wir sind Wir - Inclusion in Sailing association have been working in close partnership for a long time to organise this event. With the "#AlleanBord" project, the initiators and regatta participants want to send a strong signal in favour of inclusion, diversity and accessibility in top-class sport.
Inclusion comes with access - and we create it together." Tim Krieglstein
SailGP strategist Anna Barth explains the motivation behind the project: "We don't just want to win races, we also want to take responsibility - for the further development of the sport, for more participation and genuine accessibility." The Managing Director of the Germany SailGP Team by Deutsche Bank described the partnership with the Wir sind Wir - Inclusion in Sailing association as a "milestone for our commitment to diversity and inclusion".
Top-class sport and inclusion at the SailGP
Tim Krieglstein continued: "As the first SailGP event worldwide to integrate an inclusive regatta, we are setting new standards in Sassnitz. We want to show that top-class sport and inclusion can go hand in hand and create sustainable structures for more participation in sailing." In the SailGP Sassnitz reality, this means 16 inclusive two-person crews sailing on barrier-free RS Venture Connect boats for the official title of the International German Championship in Inclusive Sailing, awarded by the German Sailing Association.
The regatta is also part of the Heinz Kettler Deutschland Cup - the first inclusive regatta series worldwide. The event is also supported by Erik Kosegarten-Heil's sailing club, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in Hamburg and the Yachtclub Möhnesee. The championship duos are made up of people with and without disabilities.
Young talents, up-and-coming female sailors and also long-standing members of the Wir sind Wir network will be at the start. SailGP volunteers, active participants and team members from the German racing team will actively support the regatta on site. The cooperation between Wir sind Wir and the Germany SailGP team was initiated last year. It has gained a lot of momentum since then.
German SailGP commitment on many levels
The German Inclusive Sailing Championship is not intended to be a one-off event. The official start of the cooperation was marked by the world's largest women's regatta, the Helga Cup on Hamburg's Outer Alster. There, Anna Barth supported the "MammaSEAtas" team. The team was made up of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have overcome the disease. Many of them had never sailed in regattas before.
"These experiences have made a deep impression on us and motivated us to integrate inclusion into our sailing sport in the long term," Anna Barth had already said in Hamburg. Eight RS Venture Connect boats are available for the championship in Sassnitz in the spirit of accessibility. The athletes can expect a barrier-free infrastructure with jetties, crane, showers and sanitary facilities. Low entry fees and free boats make access easy. Taster sailing sessions for people with disabilities will be offered parallel to the title series. If you are interested, please send a short e-mail to Wir sind wir in advance.
The honouring of the inclusive champions is planned for 15 July in the tech area of the German racing team, before the league races take place on 16 and 17 July in the Ostsee-Arena directly in front of the large event grandstands and the stadium. The championship sailors will then be present as guests after their own regatta. The chairman of Wir sind Wir is delighted with the strong partnership with the Germany SailGP team for all those involved.
"The future we are sailing for"
Clemens Kraus said: "This cooperation takes us to a whole new level. We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase our vision on an international stage. Together with a partner who truly lives inclusion." In addition to Clemens Kraus, the following are involved Inclusive motor Sven Jürgensen and many other team members and supporters of Wir sind Wir for the championship in Sassnitz.
A few weeks before the SailGP in Sassnitz, Tim Krieglstein said: "Our goal is clear: sailing should be open to everyone - regardless of ability. That's the future we believe in and sail for."
Just three weeks ago, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein organised a large inclusive sailing summer festival on the Outer Alster in Hamburg. This was an event in its own right, but it gives a good impression of what inclusive sailing is all about and why support such as that provided by the SailGP is so important and valuable:
