Inclusive sailing: Special Olympics Germany launches long-term boat hire campaign
Lars Bolle
· 31.01.2026
Special Olympics Germany (SOD) is significantly expanding its support for inclusive sailing: From the end of June 2026, the organisation will provide sailing clubs with keel dinghies of the RS Venture Connect type free of charge for a period of up to four years. Interested clubs can apply for one or more boats until 28 February 2026.
This initiative is intended to move away from previous short-term event formats, for which these boats have already been provided, towards further sustainable, permanent inclusion structures in German sailing. The standard version of the boats are rented out without special bucket seats and are therefore particularly suitable for so-called unified teams, in which sailors with and without disabilities sit on the edge together.
Tip: YACHT tested the RS Venture Connect in the two-seater version 2020 together with the Far East S/V 14 inclusion boat. The test can be downloaded here (free of charge for subscribers).
What is Special Olympics Germany?
The organisation Special Olympics Germany e.V. is organised as a non-Olympic umbrella organisation within the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and is funded by the German government, among others. It sees itself as an inclusion movement with a socio-political mission. Since it was founded in 1991, SOD has been committed to empowering people with intellectual and multiple disabilities through sport and exercise, promoting their health and increasing their self-confidence.
The aim is to break down barriers in people's minds and in society and create an inclusive society in which everyone has the opportunity to realise their full potential. In addition to sporting competitions, SOD offers a holistic range of programmes such as "Healthy Athletes", which also includes health promotion and education.
Sailing as an inclusive sport
Sailing has been an official sport at Special Olympics Germany since 2022. The RS Venture Connect is the world's leading inclusion boat, offering high capsize safety thanks to its keel and a spacious cockpit that enables safe joint manoeuvres. The boat is modularly customisable and is used internationally in para, inclusive and open competitions, such as the World Championship 2023 in Rostock or the German Championship 2025 as part of the SailGP off Sassnitz.
Find out more about inclusion in sailing in Germany in our special article.
From major event to broad impact
The fleet of boats now available comes from the legacy of the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, for which ten boats were purchased and used on the Wannsee. SOD now wants to use these boats to establish permanent inclusive structures in clubs.
The upcoming Saarland 2026 National Games (15-20 June) will be the next big stage for inclusive sailing. After that, the boats will be available for hire.
Application and requirements
All sailing clubs that are willing to create a programme for people with intellectual disabilities or expand an existing project can apply. The offer also applies to clubs that have already rented SOD boats in the past. The hire of the boats is almost free of charge, only a new set of sails will be charged at the end of the hire period.
The written application must include a concept for the development or expansion of an inclusive sailing programme that is supported by the board. In addition, a permanent contact person in the association should be named.
Application deadline is 28 February 2026. Prior expression of interest to the SOD is expressly desired.
SOD will provide all applying sailing clubs with feedback on the allocation of the RS Venture Connect by Easter 2026. The club members will receive a detailed briefing.
All further questions will be answered by the SOD: Jonas Hoge, National Sailing Coach; e-mail: jonas.hoge@specialolympics.deMobile: 0176 61761974 and Iris Brettschneider, National Sailing Coordinator; e-mail: iris.brettschneider@specialolympics.de
