Community makes us strong
300 square metres, a small shed and twelve sailing members – that’s how the club got its start in the Köpenick district of Berlin in 1926. Today, the Cöpenicker Segler-Verein (CSV) has something to suit every taste: regatta sailing, cruising and an active children’s and youth section. The German Sailing Association congratulates the club on this special anniversary and wishes it all the best for the future.
How it all began…
Beginnings on Gartenstraße and a fresh start after the war
The club’s history began in the Berlin district of Cöpenick, which was then still spelled with a ‘C’. Emil Naujoks, Paul Ernst and Ernst Budee were the founding fathers: together with nine other members, they leased a 300-square-metre club site with a shed on Gartenstraße in 1927. Further plots of land soon followed. In 1930, the club moved to its current location on Friedrichshagener Straße, onto the site of the former Pabst shipyard. By 1931, the club had around 65 members and 40 sailing boats.
The CSV was not spared the political upheavals that began in 1933; numerous changes and resignations in the club’s leadership caused unrest. Air raids eventually destroyed large parts of the club’s grounds and several boats, making sailing unthinkable for the time being.
From 1949 onwards, sailing gradually began to regain momentum. In 1951, the people of Köpenick formed the Sailing Section of the Friedrichshagen Sports Association (SGF) and celebrated a host of sporting successes in regattas. They were closely associated, amongst other things, with the Dragon class of dinghies: Theodor Ernst, a shipyard owner and boat builder, was already a passionate and successful sailor, racing his Dragon ‘Ralle’, amongst other boats; his son Manfred Ernst won numerous GDR championship titles and, like his father, devoted himself successfully to boat design. Boats built to his plans are still sailing today.
… and what happened next
Driving lessons, ice sailing and starting a new business
Alongside its sporting successes, the SGF also played an important role in the world of sailing in the areas of training and boat licences: anyone wishing to sail on inland waters in the GDR had to obtain the so-called ‘A licence’ – what is now known as the inland recreational boat licence. “And the SG Friedrichshagen in Berlin played a central role in this,” says Sven Möbus, chairman of the Cöpenick Sailing Club. Since the 1950s, the Köpenick club had been running up to eight qualification courses – covering both theory and practice – during the winter months with great dedication, each attracting around 100 participants. “It was a challenging task, but even back then the motto was: working hand in hand as a team.”
The CSV’s ice-sailing enthusiasts also formed a close-knit community. The 12er ice-sailing sledges – named, amongst others, after the three Ice Saints Servatius, Pankratius and Mamertus – were usually launched onto the ice on Lake Müggelsee in winter, and the team enjoyed successful performances at German Championships and other regattas in the Berlin area.
After German reunification, the club reverted to its original name, Cöpenicker Segler-Verein – still with a ‘C’, even though the Berlin district has long been spelled with a ‘K’. The uncertainties surrounding the future of the East German clubs and sailing gradually subsided.
The CSV today
Collaborations with neighbouring clubs, regattas and plenty of cruising
“Sailing shouldn’t be a question of money,” says Sven Möbus, speaking on behalf of the members of the Cöpenick Sailing Club. Every child who wants to learn to sail should have the chance to do so. That is why the CSV has a very active children’s and youth section: the team of volunteer coaches runs Opti training sessions for the youngest children, 420 sessions for the older ones, summer training camps and regattas, and organises the school club (“Children can try it out for a year, then they have to decide whether they want to join the club as a youth member”). And anyone who fancies it is welcome to take part in indoor sports during the winter.
“We work closely with neighbouring clubs in the Müggelsee and Dahme areas,” says Sven Möbus. “We’re all committed to inspiring the next generation together, rather than poaching each other’s beginners.”
No fewer than eight coaches promote sailing on the CSV website and are actively involved both on land and on the water. Since 2023, the club has been awarded the Child Protection Seal by the Berlin State Sports Federation. “We are aware of our responsibility when working with young people and take it very seriously.” That is why the sailing community has had child and youth protection officers for around ten years now, including regular refresher training courses.
For competitive sailors from Köpenick, the Müggel-Cup – comprising four regattas per season – has been running since 2010 in collaboration with six other clubs in the Müggelsee area. “This series is also intended as an accessible opportunity for anyone wishing to get involved in the racing scene and try their hand at it,” explains the club chairman. However, some members can also be found competing at Travemünde Week, national championships or offshore regattas.
Cruising has always been, and still remains today, a cornerstone of the club. The simple life on board, experiencing nature, the wind and the weather, may sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but the relaxation factor “is simply huge”, enthuses Sven Möbus. Setting off by water in their own boats, CSV members head not only for the waters of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg, but also via the Oder ship lift to the Baltic Sea, down the Elbe to the North Sea, or even from Regensburg to the Black Sea. “Club crews also charter yachts on the Baltic Sea or the Mediterranean.” The travel report, complete with photos and stories from the trip, is then shared on the jetty and, in November, forms part of the annual film night.
Speaking of winter: when the temperatures allow and Lake Müggelsee is frozen over, Berliners traditionally get out their club’s very own blue-and-yellow ice glider, the ‘Eislaus’, and off they go. Alternatively, there’s a game of ice hockey on the frozen harbour waters, or every Tuesday the traditional indoor sessions for volleyball or fitness training.
A declaration of love
A sense of community makes us strong
“Here at the CSV, we’re always ready to listen to everyone,” says Sven Möbus. Whether young or old, whether you have your own boat or not, whether you’re into cruising or racing – everyone can, is allowed to and should contribute their interests and ideas.
It’s well worth the effort. What’s striking is the successful exchange between the generations. “The young benefit from the knowledge of the older members, and the older members, in turn, can rely on the help and support of the club’s younger members” – this isn’t just a theoretical statement on the club’s website, but something that really works in practice: when launching and hauling out boats together, when moving trailers, at the Whitsun festival, during the Müggel Cup sailing regatta, or at the knot-tying and games evenings in autumn. According to the club chairman, the exchange of experiences regarding sailing, boat maintenance and technical matters also works well across the generations. There are many activities in which all age groups take part together. “This sense of community is what defines us. And this sense of community is what makes us strong.”
A look into the future
The CSV has many plans, “and we can only put them into action together with all our members,” says Sven Möbus. These include, amongst other things, the construction of a small youth centre, as well as planned investments in energy-efficient infrastructure and, in future, perhaps also solar panels – all of this, however, without cutting funding for regatta and youth sports.
“Essentially, the members of the CSV would like to see closer links with local sponsors, as well as a simpler and more decisive administration at district level,” adds the chairman. Added to this is the desire for greater support with the bank reinforcement of waterways, as well as co-funding for jetties from the federal government and the City of Berlin.
This is the Cöpenick Sailing Club
The CSV is situated on the old Spreebogen bend in the historic old town of Köpenick and forms part of Berlin’s Müggel sailing district. The site and the harbour are located on land leased from the district. The club has 70 moorings on the water as well as eight dry storage spaces for dinghies; guest boats are welcome. There is a clubhouse with a café and a boathouse. The club has 106 active members of all ages – a third of whom are under 18. Sixteen of the club’s own boats are available for young sailors. The attractive Lake Müggel and the Dahme sailing area are easily accessible from Köpenick.
Address: Friedrichshagener Straße 8M, 12555 Berlin; Telephone: 030 6572048; Email: mail@csvberlin.de; Website: www.csvberlin.de