“Heinz Kettler Deutschland Cup” – The truly inclusive regatta series

With the Heinz Kettler Germany Cup, we aim to create a truly inclusive competition format. Our goal is to organise an official, recognised and high-calibre regatta series for the crews, one that offers low-threshold access, particularly for people with disabilities. The ‘Heinz Kettler Germany Cup’ is the first inclusive regatta series. The aim was, and remains, to use this series to create another flagship inclusive project with high visibility. It was held for the first time in 2023.

The competition is run in a league format. This is a regatta format comprising many short races. The sailing boats are provided to the crews by the organisers. This means there is no need for crews to transport their own boats, as is usually the case. Many major national and international regatta formats follow this model, such as the German Sailing Bundesliga and the Sailing Champions League. The races are sailed on RS Venture Connect boats. These boats have been used successfully in para-sailing worldwide for many years. This format is ideal for inclusive crews. The regatta format offers competitive racing, whilst also allowing for the breaks that are sometimes necessary between races.

Sailing, as one of the most inclusive sports, is a driving force for inclusive sport not only in Germany but worldwide. The event organisers, partners and coordinators have set themselves the goal of breaking down the traditional divide between people with and without disabilities in sport and making sailing accessible to everyone. The aim is to create an inclusive and sustainable sailing community that is diverse and open to everyone, regardless of any disability, whether socially disadvantaged or simply passionate about sailing. Through sport, active inclusion and participation can be integrated into everyday life and the world of work. A major event raises the profile of inclusive sport and helps break down barriers.

The ‘Heinz Kettler Deutschland Cup’, as one of the largest inclusive sailing events in Germany, offers an ideal platform to inspire athletes with and without disabilities to take up the sport, to break down reservations and, as a flagship project, to encourage others to follow suit, thereby ensuring greater inclusion across a wide range of areas.

Inclusive sailing refers to the creation of a sailing environment that welcomes people of all ages, genders and physical or mental backgrounds. It aims to make sailing accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability, disability or other individual characteristics.
Various measures are taken to ensure that people with different abilities or characteristics have the opportunity to take part in the sport of sailing. We want to enable people to share inclusive sailing experiences.

Furthermore, far-reaching inclusive formats have been developed in Germany in recent years, including inclusive sailing courses, adapted regatta rules and open taster sailing sessions. Examples include the official Inclusive Sailing World Championships in Rostock, organised in cooperation with the World Sailing Federation, as well as the ‘Helga Cup’ and the ‘Inclusive Sailing Nations Cup’.