Review of the year: These are the people and moments of the sailing year 2025

January

• At the start of the new year The German water sports industry under pressureThe stagnation of the economy in Germany and rising new boat costs are having a negative impact on the boat trade and charter market, while sailing schools are recording a decline in the number of participants.
• From 1 January, Kappeln will levy an overnight tax of five per cent for guests. Permanent berth holders are also affected if they rent their berth for less than six months.
• The Lippe marina in Hohwacht Bay is permanently closed due to massive damage caused by mussels. The end comes as a surprise not only to the berth holders, who had already been given notice in the autumn, but also to the crew of the rescue cruiser "Woltera".
• Oceanco shipyard fined 148,000 euros for using illegal "blood teak". The purchase price for the wood used for American Jeff Bezos' superyacht "Koru" goes in part to the military junta of Myanmar.
• With self-built plywood boats 15 sailors travelling the Atlantic to qualify for the new Mini Globe Race. Christian Sauer is the only German to take part.
• The new Recreational Marine Lifecycle Assessment initiative is designed to help manufacturers demonstrate the positive environmental footprint of new boats. Robert Marx, President of the BVWW, explains the initiative in YACHT.

february

• Posse surrounding the new grinding wheel. After the decommissioned "Missunde II" was bought back and put back into operation, the new "Missunde III" is now to be remodelled at great expense.
• The former CEO of Sweden Yachts faces bankruptcy after company are facing trial for tax offences. Meanwhile, yacht buyers are stuck with their down payments.
• Kick-off of the 11th International Ocean Film Tour in Hamburg. Films about the marine environment and water sports are presented in over 180 cities.
• Scientists from Kiel University present the results of the Schlei model project. For three years, research was carried out into how nutrient inputs into coastal waters can be reduced through agriculture.
• In Barth, a new harbour basin is flooded as part of a large holiday complex. The floating jetty is also available for guest moorings.

March

• Marine archaeologists discover a shipwreck from the 15th century off Stockholm. It could be the oldest known kraweel-built ship from the north.
• The federal government is investing around 12 million euros in the "MV Seagrass for Climate" project. It is intended to comprehensively record the seagrass population along the coastline of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and pave the way for new plantings.
• After examining the legal situation, the Danish authorities have clarified that the Highway Code applies on the beach. Beach sailing, as is customary on Fanø or Rømø, will therefore be prohibited in future.
• The water level on Lake Constance reaches a threatening low of just 2.75 metres. Many sailors who want to launch their boats are literally left high and dry.
• The German Water Sports Industry Association (BVWW) and the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association (DBSV) merge to form the German Maritime Industries Association (VMWD). Karsten Stahlhut will be Managing Director and Henning Mittelmann will be President.

April

• Trump's tariffs are shaking up the European boat industry. Shipyards are losing the US market. Hallberg-Rassy cuts a third of jobs due to tariffs, weak dollar and inflation.
• Following the American model, the UK is introducing an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). Sailors from the EU and Switzerland are also affected. Applications will be processed within 72 hours and should be submitted well in advance.
• Norway is also tightening the Notification requirements for the navigation of its territorial waters by yachts longer than 15 metres. Part of the regulation is the obligation to obtain comprehensive information from the authorities before starting the trip. Anchoring and the use of dinghies must also be reported.
• The use of mooring buoys in Denmark is becoming easier. From now on, all 300 buoys of Danske Tursejlere (DT) and Danske Sejlunion (DS) may also be used by non-Danes. All that is required is a paid membership with DT.
• Ailing and in danger of collapsing, the Roter Sand lighthouse is looking for a new home harbour. The destination of the maritime landmark is still unclear. Several places have expressed interest.

May

• A new marina with 185 berths is opening in Münsterlingen on Lake Constance in Switzerland. In return, 220 mooring buoys had to be dismantled and their users now have pre-rental rights. The harbour was already fully booked at the start of construction.
• A state-of-the-art sports school is opened in Warnemünde, which is intended in particular to promote the sport of sailing. The hope is that this will make Warnemünde more attractive as a potential Olympic venue.
• Absurd scene on the Norwegian Trondheim Fjord: A 135-metre container ship crashes onto the shore and burrows into the front garden of a residential building.
• Lights out on the Flensburg Fjord. Due to a technical fault, the beaconing of the Kalkgrund lighthouse is cancelled. Cardinal buoys are displayed as a warning. The disruption will last the entire season.
• Change of ownership at HanseYachts AG. Andreas Müller joins the Greifswald yacht builders, replacing the long-standing investor and majority shareholder Aurelius.
• Now that the Baltic Sea National Park is off the table, the Baltic Sea Protection Action Plan is to follow. Schleswig-Holstein's Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt explains the measures and associated restrictions for water sports enthusiasts in an interview with YACHT.

June

• The 90th North Sea Week experiences partly stormy conditions. Around 100 yachts take part in regattas such as the Capitell-Cup Rund Helgoland. The final event is the new Helgoland Offshore Triangle, with Daniel Baum's "Elida" arriving as first ship home.
• With almost 80 teams from eleven nations, the Helga Cup has a record number of participants. The world's largest women's regatta is taking place for the eighth time on Hamburg's Outer Alster and is setting an example for participation in sailing with 16 inclusive crews.
• The 56-metre superyacht "Bayesian", which sank off Sicily in August 2024, is salvaged around a year after the accident that claimed the lives of the owner and six of his guests. A diver dies during the preparations.
• Changing of the guard at Bavaria in Giebelstadt, Franconia. Norbert Leifeld takes over the position of Managing Director from Michael Müller.
• Briton Craig Wood is the first triple amputee to cross the Pacific single-handedly. After 90 days at sea and around 7,506 nautical miles, it reaches the harbour of Hiroshima.

July

• Worries during the holiday season: the Swedish Sjöfartsverket has issued a warning, that GPS interference is to be expected in large parts of the Baltic Sea.
• The trial of a sailor suspected of murdering his fellow sailor in the Skagerrak begins in Berlin. The judgement is not expected until the end of the year.
• As part of the Baltic Sea Protection Action Plan, politicians are calling for tougher rules for water sports enthusiasts when disposing of black water. YACHT carries out a fact check based on the existing regulations.

August

• Falling water levels and increasing siltation threaten water sports at Steinhuder Meer. An association fights for the preservation of Lower Saxony's sailing area.
• The 15mR yacht "Tuiga" gets out of control in a thunderstorm during the Copa del Rey and loses its gaff rig. Nobody is injured.
• In summer 2025, the North Sea and Baltic Sea will record record temperatures that are up to two degrees above the long-term average.

September

• The Flensburg-based ship fittings manufacturer Niro Petersen files for insolvency. Almost two years after the Baltic Sea storm surge of 2023, the family business, which has been in existence since 1965, is struggling with the consequential damage and other economic challenges.
• For the first time, a British Yachtmaster licence is converted into a German sailing licence. A YACHT reader wrestled with the DSV for a year and a half to set this precedent.
• The German Ocean Sports Association Hansa (DHH) celebrates its 100th anniversary in Glücksburg.
• The tendering process for the renovation of the Damp marina begins. Reconstruction of the port, which was destroyed by the Baltic storm surge in 2023, is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026.

october

• According to statistics, over 13,000 boats have been dismantled and recycled in France since 2019. Of the boats dismantled, 74 per cent were recyclable.
• The "Endurance", in which Ernest Shackleton travelled to Antarctica in 1914, was not suitable for pack ice, according to a Finnish researcher. Shackleton set out on the voyage, which ended with the sinking of the ship and a spectacular rescue operation, fully aware of the risks involved.
• The Pure 42 is the first boat from a newly founded Kiel shipyard to complete the test run. In the election to Europe's yacht of the year the fast aluminium Explorer deck saloon yacht takes on the competition.

November

• The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) has presented a draft of a new regulation aimed at modernising the driving licence system. After that, the recreational boating licence requirement will be completely abolished in Germany.
• The Bundestag Budget Committee provides 30 million euros for the newly established German Maritime Heritage Foundationwhich is also intended to promote and preserve traditional ships.

December

• A total of 142 boats are registered for the 80th edition of the legendary Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The German Jost Stollmann with "Alithia" was also there.