YACHT: Juliane, first of all, congratulations on your successful participation in this year's Silverrudder! Were you able to make it back to the North Sea island in time for school on Monday?
Juliane Hausmann: I didn't have to, because I've had my A-levels in the bag for a long time. I'm now a boatbuilding apprentice at Knierim in Kiel - it wasn't quite so far away.
Why is a trainee sailing the Silverrudder on a school boat from her former school?
Last year at boot Düsseldorf, I gave a presentation to the Seascape class association about the regatta project of the Hermann Lietz School on Spiekeroog, where three Beneteau First 18s (formerly Seascape) were purchased. In passing, I mentioned my desire to take part in the Silverrudder with one of the school boats. Fortunately for me, there were also Beneteau sales people in the audience who spontaneously offered to support me with a wildcard.
Is regatta sailing part of the curriculum on Spiekeroog?
Not directly, but the Hermann Lietz-Schule has a long sailing tradition. Students have always been able to learn to sail on different types of boats. Until recently, these included open dinghies, which offer a great sailing experience but are quite slow, which is why we affectionately called them "armoured dinghies". In 2023, my classmate Maxi Langner and I had the idea of expanding our school fleet with faster boats in order to raise the level of training. Fortunately, this was well received and so three Beneteau First 18s arrived on the island, and the idea of a regatta club was born.
Then you have advertised your old school with one of the new regatta school boats?
Absolutely! I can recommend everyone to take a look at it and get rid of the cliché of the boarding school only being attended by the rich and famous. The student body is very down-to-earth and the concept and location of the school are unique. I really enjoyed my time at the school and was very happy. The very fact that I am still allowed to use the boat shows the community that surrounds the boarding school.
Were you not worried about the rigours of the solo regatta?
Up until two weeks before the start, I still had a lot of respect for it. But then I sailed the Vegvisir Race with a friend, 190 nautical miles for two. With a spinnaker boat that you would actually want to have four people sitting on the edge of. That went so well that I became confident that I could also master the Silverrudder solo. Although, I wasn't completely alone.
Did you have a mascot with you?
No. (laughs) My father also took part in the Silverrudder with a Dragonfly 28. We used to have a Rainbow 42 that we sailed a lot in regattas. The regular crew from back then were now also on different boats. So it was a bit like a family reunion.
And how did your first Silverrudder go?
It was great fun, even if not everything went smoothly. Right after the start, the kicker fitting broke and I had problems with the forestay tension. The night was pretty uncomfortable, partly because I had forgotten to eat and drink in time. I set my alarm clock every 5 minutes, tied the tiller to the spinnaker sheet and snuggled into the cockpit at the front. That worked well on the cross in the Little Belt.
What happens now? Do you dream of a regatta career?
I wouldn't call it that. First of all, I have to finish my training as a boat builder. But I want to stay on the ball and sail bigger boats at some point. I'm really keen to do that. Maybe I'll go to France for a year after my apprenticeship to work as a boat captain. I come up with new ideas every day.
About Juliane Hausmann
The 21-year-old has been an enthusiastic sailor since childhood. She completed her A-levels at the Hermann Lietz School on Spiekeroog. She is currently training as a boat builder at Knierim.
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