Winter is a busy time for the owners of traditionally built boats and yachts. Every spare minute is often spent repairing, sanding and varnishing until the jewels are ready to sail in the sun again.
The upcoming classic regattas are an incentive for spectators to come and admire the lovingly maintained and often ambitiously sailed witnesses to the early days of sailing.
Max-Oertz regatta in Neustadt kicks off the season
In the north, the season begins with the Max Oertz Regatta, which takes place from 23 to 25 May in Neustadt and offers exciting races and, above all, culinary highlights.
Night regatta The Run to Svendborg
After a few weeks in which you can relax and enjoy your boat, it's on to the night race The Run. For all closed boats with cabins. On the evening of 13 June, the fleets of classic yachts set off from Flensburg, Schleimünde, Kiel and Fehmarn towards Svendborg. There, the tired sailors can look forward to a beer from sponsor Pantaenius and a cheerful get-together on the pier.
Rendezvous of the classics Kappeln-Kiel
On Sunday, you can then sail comfortably home, on tour or to Kappeln, because the following weekend sees the Rendezvous of the Classics from 19 to 22 June - the Classics Regatta at the start of Kiel Week. The participants will meet on Thursday evening in Kappeln-Grauhöft at the Stapelfeldt or Henningsen & Steckmest shipyards. The starting signal for the Stollergrund race will be given at midday on Friday. The finish line is off Plüschow Bay in Kiel-Stickenhörn. The boats moor at the jetties of the former British Kiel Yacht Club or anchor. Here, too, you can enjoy a beer and fresh bread rolls directly on board.
On Saturday morning, the fleet will then set sail as one for the start of the fjord race directly in front of the start house of the old Olympic harbour of the Kiel Yacht Club. Afterwards, the classics will be moored together in the so-called Millionaires' Basin (Basin IV) directly in front of the Kiel Yacht Club. There will also be a number of twelve-wheelers, as they will be sailing their own up and down course on the Kiel Fjord on Sunday 22 June. On Saturday afternoon and evening, there will be feasting and swilling - on board and on the KYC lawn.
German Classics in Laboe
Then it's the summer break and for many, an extensive tour of the Danish islands, the Swedish archipelago or Norway is on the agenda.
The German Classics in Laboe from 14 to 17 August is the perfect finale. This is where the scene from the Hansa dinghy to the proud 12m R yachts meets once again to sail across the Stollergrund and up to the Kiel lighthouse under racing conditions and party hard in the evening. A well-rounded regatta programme for everyone, where we can pursue our favourite hobby with friends and leave everyday life behind. Afterwards, the (classic) ladies who have aged gracefully and their owners' families will hopefully enjoy a wonderful end to the season in September before the boats return to their winter storage in October for the start of the second season, which begins and ends with sandpaper and an island of varnish. May we have a wonderful summer with lots of sailing fun and no breakages.
Numerous other classic regattas throughout Germany
Of course, there are still many regattas for classic yachts in Hamburg, Berlin, Schwerin and on the southern German lakes. The Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten publishes up-to-date information on its app and on the Internet.
