Review of the year 2024: July
Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl leaves a trail of devastation in the Southern Antilles, which also runs through marinas and anchorages. The islands from St Lucia to Grenada were particularly hard hit. With a category five, Beryl is one of the most severe hurricanes in the world.
The YACHT editors show their boats
As many of our readers show an interest in the boats we use privately, we revealed for the first time what kind of boats we spend our leisure time on. Our editorial team is made up of enthusiastic sailors with over 300 years of combined experience on boats. On a lot of boats, to be more precise. So what does someone who knows so much about sailing do privately? And how did we get our boats? The stories are wonderfully honest and bursting with passion.
Circumnavigation in a microboat
The Breton Yann Quenet has already sailed around the world once, from 2019 to 2022, in his self-built four-metre boat "Baluchon" (the French word for bundle). After a celebrated arrival and the great success of his book "My Tiny Boat", Quenet announced on Facebook in early summer that his microboat was ready for another world tour. He then actually got on board and set off without much ado. Over a long period of time, the man in his mid-fifties had previously shared creative posts with his fans about how he was modifying his boat based on his experiences and preparing for the new adventure. Life on land is not for him.
Orca attacks
Near the Strait of Gibraltar, the whales continue to target sailing yachts and attack their rudder blades. Several boats sink as a result.
Atlantic crossing ends tragically
An Atlantic cruise ended tragically for British sailor Sarah Packwood, 54, and her Canadian husband Brett Clibbery, 70. On 11 June, the couple had left Nova Scotia on their 13 metre (42 ft) long, environmentally friendly converted yacht "Theros". The couple's destination was the Azores, and the journey of around 2,000 nautical miles was planned to take 21 days.
Review of the year 2024: August
GFK classic car meeting
The annual meeting of GRP classics takes place in Maasholm on the last weekend in August. The scene has been campaigning for years for the cultural and historical value of the old plastic boats to be recognised. A certification system similar to the H licence plate in the car sector is intended to promote this in future.
Hundreds of thousands at Hanse Sail
500,000 visitors flock to the Hanse Sail in Rostock. Around 16,000 places on 138 ships are booked for day trips. The highlights are undoubtedly the regattas of the traditional sailing ships, but there is also a varied programme on land with many artists and stages.
Vilm Yachts insolvent
The Rügen shipyard Vilm Yachts runs into heavy seas and is insolvent. The shipyard from Lauterbach was founded in 1990 and had specialised in high-quality, seaworthy sailing yachts, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern boatbuilding.
"Bayesian" drama
The 56 metre long superyacht "Bayesian" is hit by a waterspout at its anchorage off Sicily and sinks. Fifteen of the crew were rescued, but seven others could only be recovered dead later. Among the victims were the British owner Mike Lynch and his daughter.
35th German Classics
For the 35th time, numerous crews with their traditional yachts will set course for the German Classics in Laboe. The regatta is the largest German classic event and is regarded as the nucleus for the revival of the northern German classic fleet.
Germany with difficulties at the Olympics
Things didn't go according to plan for the DSV players in the dull Olympic heat battle in the Bay of Marseille: twelve years after the last zero, the German Sailing Team had to return home without any medals. Others, like the twice gold-winning Austrians, have better nerves and a little more luck in the doldrums. The most successful GER athletes are Leonie Meyer and Jannis Maus with two fifth places at the historic Olympic premiere for kiters. Strong top ten results were achieved by Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille in the 49erFX (6th place), windsurfer Theresa Steinlein (6th place) and Paul Kohlhoff with Alica Stuhlemmer in the Nacra (17th and 8th place).
In memory of Moitessier: Longue Route
In August, seven adventure-seekers set off on a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation of the world, which is not a regatta, in memory of Bernard Moitessier's lost victory in the 1968/69 Golden Globe Race. It is the second event of its kind.
Controversies surrounding the Baltic Sea
Following the national park debate, the Mare Balticum continues to be the focus of environmentalists and sailors. The former point out that the harbour porpoise is severely endangered by fishing nets, noise and lack of food. There has recently been a code of conduct for water sports enthusiasts in the Little Belt, as the northern part of the water is home to one of the densest harbour porpoise populations in the Baltic Sea. Recreational craft should maintain their course and speed when they are spotted, not approach them by more than 50 metres and switch off their echo sounders. However, sailors are increasingly reporting sightings of exotic Baltic Sea inhabitants. Tuna have been back in the Öresund for a few years now, and this year orcas and a humpback whale have been spotted there by the director of the Öresund Aquarium. A German crew films two dolphins playing south of the Danish island of Ærø. The German Maritime Museum confirms from the images that they were dolphins and asks sailors to report marine mammals. Overall, the Baltic Sea is too warm this summer. The high temperatures lead to a plague of blue-green algae towards the end of the season, causing numerous municipalities to impose bathing bans.
Review of the year: That was the super sailing year 2024
- 2024: The most eventful sailing year ever?
- Exciting start - January and February
- Dramatic sinking and consequences of the storm surge - March and April
- Hullabaloo in early summer - May and June
- Eventful super sailing summer - July and August
- Autumn highlights - September and October
- Vendée Globe and Co. - November and December
