German Navy: More Sunbeam sailing yachts for training
The German Navy has ordered eight Sunbeam 36.2 sailing yachts from Schöchl in Austria ordered. Sailing has a long tradition in naval officer training. The German Navy has had Hanseat 70B and Nadine 24 sailing yachts in service for over 40 years.
A spokesperson for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support told us that "the boats are used for basic nautical training for officers and non-commissioned officers at the Mürwik Naval School. The aim is to familiarise servicewomen and men with the basic principles of service on board naval units, including the command organisation at sea, joint training and safety regulations."
Why Sunbeam yachts for the German Navy again?
"Standardised training requires the use of the same boat types with standardised equipment. This is the only way to ensure cost-effective operation (qualification of instructors and uniform maintenance) and standardised training and testing with the aim of achieving a uniform level of training. Based on these requirements, an order was placed for an additional eight sailing boats of the same type for the fleet. Sunbeam Watersports is the only manufacturer of this type of boat and has therefore been commissioned." According to the spokesperson.
Already proven during training
The eleven metre long Sunbeam 36.2 is a Georg Nissen design from 2010, which is based on the Sunbeam 34 from 2007. The Sunbeam 34 won the European Yacht of the Year title in 2008. The moderately wide boat is equipped with a single wheel, has chines and runs a conventional rig with a short overlapping genoa. Some modifications have been made for the navy. For example, the boat will have individual headsails instead of a furling genoa, and there will be no teak deck, anchor windlass, cockpit table or lazy bag.
The eight new Sunbeams are to be deployed in the Baltic Sea. Delivery is planned between April 2026 and November 2027.
