Just set sail - without experience, without a big plan, but with a good dose of courage - and perhaps naivety. What sounds like a fixed idea is the basis for the documentary film "Segeljungs - mit null Ahnung um die Welt", which will be released in cinemas on 2 April 2026. It tells the story of four boys from Bavaria who set sail around the world after finishing school instead of studying or training. And not with years of preparation, but according to the motto: "Just do it".
On the world's oceans after leaving school
Tim, Vince, Michi and Tom from Bad Tölz in Bavaria made a decision after school that many sailors would probably have dismissed as a pipe dream: without any sailing experience to speak of, they bought a boat, got a job to pay for their travel expenses - and set off. The route: from the Baltic Sea via the North Sea and Atlantic to the Caribbean, onwards through the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean and back to Europe. Five years later, around 40,000 nautical miles and 38 countries travelled are on the log. In their luggage: several terrabytes of video footage, much of which they have already shared with their fans on YouTube along the way. Now the footage, edited together by filmmaker Tobias Steinigeweg, is coming to the cinema.
At first glance, the story is reminiscent of another film that premiered five years ago and also told the story of a four-man crew sailing around the world. The big difference was that the crew of the "Peter Willemoes" had spent two years preparing intensively for their voyage, with a sports boat certificate, practice voyages, studying nautical charts and route planning:
In the cinema from April: adventures, setbacks and borderline experiences
The trailer promises proximity to the reality of cruising sailing, far removed from glossy productions. The crew experience what many long-distance sailors are also confronted with: severe storms, technical defects, material breakage and psychological stress.
In 2019, YACHT reported on the interim status of the trip:
Engine failure forces the crew to abandon the first leg in Panama. Two of the four friends later drop out. In the end, Tim and Vince complete the journey as a crew of two - a scenario that many blue water sailors know only too well. Encounters with supposed pirates, long passages of up to 40 days at sea and extreme weather conditions are also part of the reality of the journey.
The sailing community on social media
The round-the-world voyage takes place in two stages - and on two different yachts. The first, the "Eira", had to be abandoned after technical problems in Panama. A fan then provides the sailors with a 57-foot aluminium yacht: the "Arrya". They continue their journey with her - an unusual but typically modern aspect of this story, which is strongly supported by social media. The project was largely financed by a growing online community. Over 300 videos document the journey - raw, direct and authentic.
Five years after they set off, there are only two of them left, but they have actually travelled around the world. In an interview with YACHT, Vincent Goymann and Tim Hund talked about their plans after the big trip:
From YouTube channel to big cinema
More than 20 terabytes of film material were used to create a 118-minute cinema film. Director and editor Tobias Steinigeweg has turned it into a dramaturgically dense adventure documentary that deliberately breaks with traditional viewing habits: a shaky camera, direct sound bites and unembellished scenes are not a flaw, but a stylistic device. They are intended to convey what many glossy productions lack and what makes social media and YouTube channels so attractive: authenticity. They always had individual sailors with them on their journey, but above all there were always tens of thousands of virtual sailors on board!
Growing up on the high seas
"Segeljungs" is not just another film about sailing around the world. Above all, it is also a story about friendship, self-discovery and growing up under extreme conditions. The ocean becomes a stage for personal development. An aspect that many long-distance sailors can confirm from their own experience. At the same time, the film hits a nerve of the times and a longing that is reflected in a number of social media channels: the desire for freedom, for breaking out of predetermined paths in life and for real adventure.
The crew on tour through the cinemas
From 2 April, the young protagonists and filmmakers will go on a Germany-wide cinema tour (to the dates) where they talk about their five-year journey on site. Especially those who are dreaming of a big trip themselves can ask their questions about technology, route planning, mistakes and lessons learnt. Whether it is actually advisable to sail across the Atlantic with "zero knowledge" is not only questionable, but should be clearly relativised. The title is almost certainly deliberately dramatic and the boys will at least have prepared themselves thoroughly for their journey. As much as the film celebrates the courage and determination of the protagonists, there is also a danger of conveying a distorted image of cruising. Because the reality at sea does not forgive any fundamental gaps in knowledge: Meteorology, navigation, technology and safety management are not optional extras, but essential. The story of the "sailing boys" may be inspiring - but it should not obscure the fact that their journey was also characterised by risks, setbacks and a steep learning curve. For aspiring blue water sailors, the film can be an impetus to question and concretise their own dream, ideally with the necessary preparation, respect for the sea and a realistic view of their own abilities.
More information about the film at Sailingboys.com
More cinema films about dropouts and circumnavigators:
Jill Grigoleit
Editor Travel
