33rd Hanse Sail: Traditional sailing ships inspire almost 500,000 visitors

"Rostock showed its maritime and cosmopolitan side during the Hanse Sail and presented itself perfectly! We were not only able to celebrate a great party together on and around the water. Everyone who was there also showed how valuable and strengthening solidarity and cohesion are," said Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger about the largest public festival in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The Spanish "Pascual Flores", for example, experienced this hospitality. The gaff schooner, built in 1917, had called at Rostock for the first time and had to report engine damage immediately after its arrival. The Hanse Sail Association reacted quickly and donated 2,000 euros to minimise the loss of income for the crew due to cancelled trips.

At the same time, the machinist, ship supervisor Iris Henkel, the crews of the other ships and a mechanic from a ship chandlery in Rostock worked to get the ship back on the water as quickly as possible - with success: on Saturday, the "Pascual Flores" was able to welcome guests back for a sailing trip. "We felt very welcome right from the start. The support of the people is great. Thank you very much," said Captain Rodrigo Boj.

Cutters and schooners: traditional sailing boats on the regatta courses

Despite the slightly lower number of visitors and fewer traditional sailing boats, the weather was good and the mood was festive as the action got underway on the water. 25 cutters started the traditional race for the Baltic Sea Cup on Saturday. The course for the 7.50 metre long boats led from Warnemünde towards Heiligendamm, then three nautical miles north and back to the starting point. "Because of the wind, the cutters had to cross, so the route was extended from 18 nautical miles to around 35," said organiser Steffen Seher. "The weather was challenging and changeable, including a rain front. But in the end the sun came out and now everyone is smiling."

The active participants travelled from all over the former GDR, as the cutters were used to train young sailors at the Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik (GST) before reunification. The boats are between 30 and 70 years old. In the end, the cutter "Moby Dick" from Wolgast reached the finish line first and thus won this year's Baltic Sea Cup.

33rd Hanse Sail: Match race with wind and waves at the end

The starting signal for the Rostock Port Schooner Race sounded at 12 noon sharp on Thursday. The three Dutch ships "Regina Maris", "Stortemelk" and "Swaensborgh" raced each other off Warnemünde - to the delight of the sailors on board. Almost 200 guests were able to experience the regatta atmosphere. After around four nautical miles, or just under 7.5 kilometres, the "Stortemelk" was the first ship to reach the finish line.

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On Sunday, the final day of the Hanse Sail, two more schooners started the match race. One year after their last duel, the "Abel Tasman" (NED) and the "Baltic Beauty" (POL) competed against each other again. The gaff schooner had already won in 2023 under the Dutch flag, but this time too, the Polish ship was not enough in the duel with around 50 co-sailors each. The "Baltic Beauty" crossed the finish line exactly two minutes after the "Abel Tasman", which was built in 1913.

"The weather was sunny, but we had wind force 4 to 5. After the steady westerly wind of the previous days, it was very wavy," reports regatta organiser Rainer Arlt. "Some of our fellow sailors were no longer so comfortable, so we shortened the course to around 3.5 nautical miles."

200 artists on 20 stages: Hanse Sail offers a strong shore programme

On land, meanwhile, 200 artists presented a varied programme on 20 stages over four days. Highlights were the performances by Pohlmann on Friday evening and Florian Künstler on Saturday evening, as well as the final concert by the Pasternack Big Band.

The morning after the successful conclusion of the 33rd Hanse Sail, Lord Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger, the Head of the Hanse Sail Office Bettina Fust and Tourism Director Matthias Fromm traditionally set the clock in front of the Hanse Sail Office for the 34th Hanse Sail. This will take place from 7th to 10th August 2025. Until then, the 360 days on the digital display will run down by the minute.