DSV Sailing Competition 2025: Outstanding nautical miles and a lifetime’s achievement

The prize winners were selected by an independent five-member jury. It comprised members of the DSV’s Cruising and Recreational Sailing Committee, as well as experienced sailors from the DSV’s member clubs.

The categories: inland waters and the open sea

Susanna Huhtanen from the Gothia Sailing Club was awarded gold in the Lake/Open Sea category. The experienced cruising sailor crossed the Atlantic on her Amigo 40, the “Lille Ø”, together with her partner Bergie. “Lille Ø is mostly sailed by a crew of four: two humans and two machines,” says the Finnish-born sailor of the “Lille Ø” crew, which she counts the autopilot and the windvane steering system as part of. The Swedish-built vessel with the Danish name is sailed by two Finns under the German flag and flying the pennant of a German sailing club.

For her successful Atlantic crossing as part of a two-person crew, Susanna Huhtanen was also honoured with the Commodore’s Prize for outstanding sailing achievements. She was unable to accept the awards in person, as she is currently sailing in the South Pacific. However, in an emotional video message shown at the awards ceremony, she expressed her gratitude for this special honour.

The silver medal in the ‘Sea’ category went to Ulf Bohlmann and his crew from the ‘Walross 4’ of the Akademischer Segler Verein Berlin. They were recognised for their ‘RosZoren’ voyage, which they undertook in September 2025 as part of the ship’s transatlantic crossing to mark the 250th anniversary of US Independence. The leg of the journey took them from Roscoff across the Bay of Biscay to Terceira in the Azores. In total, the crew covered 1,599 nautical miles, 1,581 of which were under sail. They sailed around 1,350 nautical miles close-hauled, approximately 40 nautical miles under spinnaker and 115 nautical miles under Code Zero.

The bronze medal was awarded to Bernhard Stingl of the Uerdingen Sailing Club. Aboard the club yacht ‘Oeding’, an X-46, he and a crew of six covered more than 700 nautical miles from Vigo to Benalmádena along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts. Almost all crew members held SSS, SKS and SRC certificates. The voyage took them to well-known destinations in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Even before setting sail, the crew had thoroughly discussed the possibility of encounters with orcas, the necessary precautions and the potential consequences. Whilst sailing, they also explored the northern Moroccan coast.

Category: Coast

The gold medal in the Coastal category went to Jürgen Könemann of the Schilkseer Yacht Club and his wife. On their X 4.0 ‘Bellafix’, they sailed from Denmark via Norway and the Shetland Islands back to Kiel. In their detailed travelogue of the journey, which covered over 2,000 nautical miles, they described numerous encounters with old and new sailing friends, as well as the special magic of Scandinavia around Midsummer.

Second place in the Coastal category went to Kai Cording from the Duisburg Yacht Club and his crew. Aboard the ‘Colibri’, a trailerable small cruiser just 7.45 metres long of the Fabola Campus 7.4 type, these self-proclaimed fans of tidal waters set off on a voyage from Brittany to the Channel Islands. Under the title ‘Spray, Tides and Granite’, the crew reported on this special sailing trip.

Gunnar Kuphal of the Berliner Yacht-Club (BYC) won bronze in the ‘Coastal’ category. He was honoured for his voyage aboard the Folkeboot ‘Blomquist’ from Rostock to Mariehamn and back. He had previously been honoured by the DSV in 2022 for a challenging solo voyage from Rostock to Gdańsk.

Youth Prize and Environment Prize

The jury awarded the ‘Youth and Environment Prize’ to skipper Noa Wilhelmine Hassel from the Akademischer Segler-Verein zu Rostock. She sailed the club’s boat, the ‘Universitas’, from Rostock to Klaipėda and back. Alongside five members of the Akademischer Segler-Verein zu Rostock, there were seven other international students on board.

The voyage was supported by a grant from EU-CONEXUS, a consortium of several European universities, of which the Universities of Rostock and Klaipėda are members. In addition, the crew combined the voyage with a scientific project: whilst at sea, the students collected oceanographic data for research purposes. To this end, the Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde provided a CTD probe, which can be used to measure the conductivity, temperature and depth of the water.

Family price

The Family Prize went to Stefan Schoone from the Accumersiel Yacht Club, his wife and their two daughters. On their yacht ‘Lisann’, the family sailed from the North Sea through the Kiel Canal into the Danish South Sea. In a detailed travelogue and a video, they impressively demonstrated just how special a family sailing holiday can be.

Gudrun Calligaro Prize

The Gudrun Calligaro Prize for the best female skipper was awarded to 30-year-old Sarah Britten from the Westfälischer Yachtclub Delecke. Sailing her ten-metre-long Renke-class yacht ‘Briwer’, she sailed mainly solo and accompanied by her dog ‘Willi Wuff’ from the IJsselmeer to Nagu in Finland and back. In doing so, she fulfilled her dream of spending a whole summer on the seas right on her doorstep. Her motto for the journey was: “Follow your dreams – they know the way.”

A lifetime’s work in sailing

Heidemarie and Manfred Brandes were honoured by the Rostock Sailing and Water Sports Club and the Berlin Skippers’ Guild for their lifetime’s work in sailing. The Berlin-based couple only discovered their passion for sailing as adults. From their first sailing trips in a five-metre-long wooden Olympic dinghy on inland waters and in the Bodden, their journey led to extended voyages to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. For many years now, they have been exploring the world together on their nine-metre yacht, the ‘Libra’. Their voyages are characterised by trust, experience and a well-established division of labour. Over the past 45 years, they have received numerous awards from various German sailing clubs, including the DSV Commodore’s Prize on two occasions.

Audience Award

The guests in attendance were also asked to have their say: on the evening of the sailing festival, they voted for the People’s Choice Award and had to choose between three trips on offer. Max Gerhardt (Yachtsport-Club Deutschland) received the most votes, having impressed those present with his sailing trip to Scotland and the Hebrides aboard the chartered Dufour 36 Classic ‘Shadowfax’.

"These trips make you want to set sail yourself"

“German cruising sailors have once again shown that they are at home on all sailing grounds and can cover great distances even with a small crew. They prove that travelling under sail is a lifelong passion,” said Claus Funk, Vice-President for Cruising and Recreational Sailing at the German Sailing Association (DSV). “These outstanding voyages make you want to cast off yourself and discover new sailing areas. They show that it often doesn’t take much at all to set sail for new horizons.”

A driving competition with a long tradition

The DSV Cruising Competition took place in this format for the second time. Following a comprehensive overhaul, the DSV had relaunched the former cruising competition of the now-disbanded Cruiser Section in 2024 in a modernised form for the first time. The competition is now specifically aimed at newcomers as well. Whether it’s an extended sailing sabbatical, a family break or a short cruise – all cruising sailors are encouraged to document their voyages and submit their entries.

​Despite the new format, the DSV draws on a history stretching back over 100 years. Shortly after its foundation in 1911, the German Cruiser Yacht Association launched the cruising competition, thereby securing the recognition of cruising as a sporting discipline – at that time still in competition with the regatta-oriented DSV.

On the other hand, by publishing these voyage reports, the cruising competition has ever since encouraged the exchange of information about experiences at sea and in ports, which was invaluable at a time when there was still virtually no infrastructure for cruising yachts.

​As part of the modernisation programme for the 2024 season, the format of the driving competition – which had recently suffered from a lack of entrants – was simplified and adapted to current needs.

An overview of the prize winners

Category: Lake/Open Sea

Gold
Susanna Huhtanen (Gothia Sailing Club)
Atlantic crossing aboard the ‘Lille Ø’

Silver
Ulf Bohlmann (Berlin Academic Sailing Club)
Sailing the ‘Walross 4’ from Roscoff to Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Bronze
Bernhard Stingl (Uerdingen Sailing Club)
On the club yacht ‘Oeding’ from Vigo to Benalmádena

Category: Coast

Gold
Jürgen Könemann (Schilkseer Yacht Club)
Sailing the X 4.0 ‘BellafiX’ from Denmark via Norway to the Shetland Islands and back

Silver
Kai Cording (Duisburg Yacht Club)
Sailing the ‘Kolibri’ small cruiser to the tidal waters of the Channel Islands

Bronze
Gunnar Kuphal (Berlin Yacht Club)
Sailing the Folkboat ‘Blomquist’ from Rostock to Mariehamn and back

Special offers

Youth and Environment Prize
Noa Wilhelmine Hassel (Rostock Academic Sailing Club)
Sailing from Rostock to Klaipėda and back on the ‘Universitas’ with international students

Family price
Stefan Schoone (Accumersiel Yacht Club)
Sailing with the family aboard the ‘Lisann’ across the North Sea and through the North Sea Canal into the Danish South Sea

Gudrun Calligaro Prize (best female skipper)
Sarah Britten (Westfälischer Yachtclub Deleke)
Sailing the ‘Briwer’ mainly solo from the IJsselmeer to Nagu in Finland and back

Commodore Award for Outstanding Sailing Achievement
Susanna Huhtanen (Gothia Sailing Club)
Solo Atlantic crossing aboard the ‘Lille Ø’

Lifetime Achievement Award for Sailing
Heidi and Manfred Brandes (Rostock Water Sports and Sailing Club and the Berlin Skippers’ Guild)

Audience Award
Max Gerhardt (Yachtsport-Club Deutschland)
Sailing to Scotland and the Hebrides on the ‘Shadowfax’