Jubiläum: 100 Jahre Greifswalder Yacht-Club

Together everything is possible

A century ago, the Greifswald Bodden Sailing Club was founded with the aim of making sailing accessible to everyone. Today, the club includes dedicated cruising sailors, motivated regatta fans and a well-organised children's and youth section - there is something for everyone. The DSV congratulates the club on this special anniversary and wishes it all the best for the future.

Sailing on the pleasure cutter and then quickly owning club boats - how it all began at the Greifswald Yacht Club ...

Students had been sailing on the River Ryck and the Greifswald Bodden since the end of the 19th century - on old, small fishing boats or the so-called pleasure cutter of entrepreneur Paul Degner. One of his fishing boats had been converted into a yacht; during the herring season in spring and autumn it served as a fishing vessel, in summer as a sailing boat.

But water sports involving sailing should be accessible to all citizens of Greifswald. At least that was the opinion of four sailing enthusiasts - they founded the "Greifswalder Jacht Klub" on 28 April 1926 with the aim of inspiring and training children and young people in particular for sailing. Membership numbers developed well and the club soon had its own boats, such as the coastal dinghy "VINETA U 26" and three 12-foot dinghies. Sailing on the Bodden flourished.

When the National Socialists came to power, the first chairman was replaced by a club leader, and "political training was also planned, but only conducted by the beer glass", writes club chronicler and long-time member Hans-Joachim Subklew on the GYC website about the club's history.

After the end of the war, sailing at the Greifswald Yacht Club came to a complete standstill. The boats were shipped to Russia as reparations and some centreboards - confiscated for a Russian convalescent home - were left to rot on the outer beach of Usedom.

For the sailors in East Germany, self-determined club life also came to an end. The GJK disbanded involuntarily and the water sports enthusiasts reunited in the "Einheit Greifswald" sailing section of the company association. "The enthusiasm and commitment to sailing continued unabated there," says the current 1st Chairman Christian Subklew. Even if it was sometimes challenging, such as when applying for special licences PM 18 and PM 19 for sailing in inner sea waters on trips around Rügen or Hiddensee. The GDR authorities at the time were too afraid that "citizens might attempt to escape to the West if they left the three-mile zone," explains Christian Subklew. Although sailing was heavily regulated as a result, a lively scene developed.

... and what happened next: a successful new start with challenges

In November 1989, the Wall came down and with it the boundaries for the sailing community on the Baltic Sea. The first active sailors decided to sail to Rönne on Bornholm for the 1990 season - wind and temperatures didn't matter. The main thing was to get going!

The new beginning of the club proved to be more difficult. The legal capacity of the Greifswald Yacht Club 1950 was revoked by court order. "So we had to put everything on a new legal footing, clarify ownership, draw up lease agreements and... and... and," says Christian Subklew.

On 6 April 1990, the club was re-established, now finally with the spelling "Greifswalder Yacht-Club". However, it was to take another six years before the contracts for a club site could be finalised. Today, the GYC has two sites: the smaller site is located at the mouth of the River Ryck in the village of Wieck, directly on the Greifswald Bodden. This is also where the clubhouse is located, which was converted from an old boat hall into a club meeting place with a great deal of financial and energetic commitment from the members. Two nautical miles upstream, the GYC has a larger site with 60 berths and ten guest berths at the so-called Eisenhammer - a steelworks with a large iron hammer for smelting turf ironstone was located here in the middle of the 19th century.

Sailing in all its facets and successful co-operations - the Greifswald Yacht Club today

"We offer sailors many facets that are part of our sport," explains Christian Subklew: cruising, regatta sailing, an independent junior department and a great sense of community. Planning cruises, organising races, parties, tidying up the grounds, renovating jetties - "it all only works because we stick together."

And that's what they do at the Greifswald Yacht Club. On squadron trips to Peenemünde North, for example, there are sometimes 20 to 30 boats on the water. Everyone supports each other when slipping or tinkering with the boats, and the regular lecture series in winter are well attended. "And our flag flies in many corners of Europe during the season," explains the 1st Chairman.

The regatta scene at the GYC and on the Bodden is also lively. Wednesday regatta, Bodden Cup, Bodden Solo, Bodden stage - the racing calendar is full. The regatta sailors of the Greifswald Yacht Club are organised with the Academic Sailing Club of Greifswald and the Wieck Yacht Club in the community of BoddenRacer. True to the motto: Together, many things are possible.

The successful cooperation model with the two neighbouring clubs is also reflected in the GYC's work with children and young people. Around 65 children and young people train together from Monday to Thursday in several groups in Optis, 420s, ILCAs and 29ers in a joint youth department (GJA); in winter there is theory, swimming and athletics training. An integral part of the youth work is also joint participation in races in the region and on international waters: Youngsters from Greifswalder Bodden, for example, took part in the 29er EuroCup in the south of France and the International Youth Easter Meeting Regatta on Lake Garda (ILCA 4), while the optis travelled to the Netherlands.

"This cooperation makes it possible for us to offer such a programme for the next generation," says Christian Subklew. Hardly any club can do this on its own.

Everyone at Greifswald Bodden agrees: the joint youth department ensures the next generation of sailors and the continued existence of the clubs. And that is why there will also be a full-time coach for the Joint Youth Department for the first time from 2027. The fee will be shared - quite simply.

"We have the most beautiful district in Germany" - a declaration of love

"We are a close-knit community," Christian Subklew enthuses about the association, "but we are also open to everything new - new developments, new perspectives and, above all, new people. Everyone is welcome."

The area on the doorstep is also unbeatable - "actually the most beautiful in Germany". There is the open Baltic Sea with its long coastline, the more sheltered Greifswalder Bodden and the Peenestrom with its unmistakable nature, and the many small and charming harbours for mooring. Actually, says Christian Subklew, "we don't have to go anywhere else".

This is the Greifswald Yacht Club

The GYC is located on the Greifswalder Bodden in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and has two locations: directly in Wiek am Bodden there is a clubhouse with a restaurant, boat sheds, 30 moorings and 3 guest moorings on the club grounds, and around 2.5 miles towards Greifswald the club offers further moorings (60/10) at the Eisenhammer. The club has 226 members with around 80 boats, 25 of which are children and young people. The Greifswalder Yacht-Club, the Akademischer Seglerverein zu Greifswald and the Yachtclub Wieck form a joint and independent organisation. Youth department The youngsters are trained in various boat classes. Address: Greifswalder Yacht-Club, Yachtweg 4, 17493 Greifswald; Mail greifswalder_yachtclub@t-online.deWebsite www.greifswalder-yachtclub.de;