The BAT Sailing Team – inclusion in action on the regatta course – a joint project between the North German Regatta Club and ‘Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing’, reached a remarkable milestone in 2025: After five thrilling match days in the 2nd German Sailing Bundesliga, the inclusive team secured 10th place in the final, finishing 11th overall out of 18 teams and thus successfully avoiding relegation.

On the fourth match day of the 2025 season at Wannsee, the BAT Sailing Team impressively demonstrated inclusion in action on the regatta course and achieved its best result of the season with a sixth-place finish. With two day victories and placings of 1st, 4th, 3rd, 5th, 1st and 3rd, the team proved its great potential. In addition, the BAT League Team, comprising Mieke Klein, Marvin Hamm, David Koch and Jan Mense, finished as runners-up in the Central German Sailing Clubs Championship – another impressive achievement.

2026 is a special year: the BAT Sailing Team is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Currently, 18 people with and without disabilities are competing together in regattas – including people with visual impairments, blind people, wheelchair users and deaf people. In 2026, for the first time, two children and young people with visual impairments will also join the team. The team welcomed and integrated further new members in 2025. Having successfully avoided relegation, the team is heading into its third Bundesliga season in 2026 –
impressive proof that inclusion in competitive regatta sailing is not only possible but also enriches the sport for everyone. Susann Beucke, the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in sailing, supports the project as its patron.

The annual team workshop, led by professional team coach Andrea Loth – who has now been working with the BAT Sailing Team for three years – provides a valuable foundation for every season. Under the motto ‘Keep growing’, the team works on structures and goals – because the vision is clear: #alleanbord. Sailing is one of the most inclusive sports – on the water, team spirit and communication count, not physical limitations. The BAT Sailing Team wants to demonstrate that what is possible on the regatta course must also be possible in society, business and working life.

As well as its ambitious regatta programme, the BAT Sailing Team is also committed to training: sailing workshops for visually impaired and blind people are organised on a regular basis. For several years now, the popular ‘Fledermaus’ sailing course has been taking place in cooperation with Rotary Deichtor and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. In addition, the team organises an annual taster course in collaboration with the Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Hamburg e.V. – an important bridge for inspiring new people to take up inclusive sailing.

The three-year scientific study of the BAT Sailing Team has been published in the renowned international journal “Frontiers in Sports and Active Living” – a significant milestone for inclusive sailing in Germany.

The study “Sailing together: challenges for an inclusive team of visually impaired and sighted athletes at Kiel Week” documents the development of the BAT Sailing Team from 2021 to 2023. A research team from Humboldt University of Berlin, Leuphana University of Lüneburg and the University of Hamburg, led by Dr Steffen Greve, provided scientific support to the team throughout three Kiel Weeks.

Key findings of the study

Communication as the key to success: Joint communication between sighted and visually impaired athletes has emerged as a particular strength of the team. The newly developed forms of communication not only professionalise inclusive sailing, but are also being applied by the athletes to other areas of sailing.

Benefits for all involved: Particularly noteworthy is the finding that sighted female sailors, in particular, benefit enormously from the jointly developed forms of communication and find them enriching for their entire sailing practice.

Balance between performance and participation: The team has successfully struck a balance between “participation for all” and competitive sailing, thereby setting new standards for ambitious inclusive sport.

“Frontiers in Sports and Active Living” is an internationally recognised, peer-reviewed open-access journal. Publication means that the work has withstood a rigorous scientific peer-review process and is now visible worldwide. “Sailing is one of the most inclusive sports,” confirms the research team. Building on these findings, the scientific collaboration with the University of Hamburg is expected to continue in 2026.

The full article is freely available as an open-access publication at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1602925

The pioneering training initiative “Sailing Without Borders” achieved impressive results in 2025. Titus and Sophia were the pioneers of these special programmes, which are specifically designed to train blind and visually impaired children and young people. The BAT Sailing Team sees itself as a role model and driving force for inclusion, and actively works to recruit and train the next generation.

Titus: From sailing course to Wednesday regatta

Titus, aged 12, who is visually impaired, has been taking part in a special inclusive sailing course alongside his friend Sander since April 2025. The programme was developed by ‘Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing’ in cooperation with the Hamburg Sailing Club and is supported by the Hamburg Education Centre for the Visually Impaired and Blind and the Allianz für die Jugend e.V. Nordwest.

Titus’s story highlights the importance of personalised support: following a frustrating experience on a standard sailing course, where no account was taken of his visual impairment, he was given a second chance through this specially adapted training programme. Together with his friend Sander, he trained intensively with coach Calle Sibbert. The aim was to take part in the Hamburg Sailing Club’s Wednesday regatta.

Sophia: From the Alster to SailGP

A remarkable success story: 10-year-old Sophia, who is visually impaired, began her sailing course on Hamburg’s Alster in May 2025, supported by Olympic silver medallist Susann Beucke. Her journey took her from her very first sailing lesson all the way to the International German Championships in inclusive sailing at SailGP in Sassnitz, where she competed as the youngest participant.

At the IDM, Sophia and her crew-mate Maren Hahlbrock secured second place with consistent performances. Prior to this, she had already competed as the youngest participant in the Helga Cup – the world’s largest women’s sailing regatta – on Hamburg’s Außenalster. Her story impressively demonstrates that age sets no limits in inclusive sailing.

During her debut at Kieler Woche, Sophia sailed on the Baltic Sea for the first time. “She took an immediate liking to sailing at sea. This is a completely new experience for Sophia, who usually sails on the Außenalster. The wind direction is much more stable on the Baltic Sea than on the Alster,” reported coach Calle Sibbert.

The initiative had a positive impact beyond the world of water sports: Titus’s parents were so enthusiastic that they launched their own fundraising campaign for the inclusive sailing projects.

A particular highlight was the pioneering offshore sailing project on the legendary Volvo Ocean Race-winning yacht ILLBRUCK (now “SkenData”) off the coast of Warnemünde. During this inclusive offshore sailing experience on 4 June 2025, twelve people with and without disabilities sailed together – including Paralympic gold medallist Siegmund Mainka and four blind and visually impaired people from Rostock and Hamburg. The project, carried out in cooperation with Speedsailing Rostock and the Rostock Regatta Club, impressively demonstrated that inclusive participation is possible even in the demanding world of offshore sailing.

The project’s success is based on a strong network of supporters and established partnerships. The projects on the Alster and the BAT Sailing Team are joint ventures with the Hamburg Sailing Club and the North German Regatta Club, which, as home clubs, provide an indispensable foundation.

The Reinhard Frank Foundation has been a long-standing partner for the past six years, providing the foundation for all the BAT Sailing Team’s projects, training and sailing activities, as well as all sailing projects in the field of sailing for the blind and visually impaired. Other partners, such as the Heinz Kettler Foundation, Torqeedo, Pantaenius, Zhik, Peter Frisch GmbH, Akquinet, ONE, e-Boot Hamburg, Elvström Deutschland, REWE and Zürcher, make it possible for dreams of sailing to become a reality.

Spring:

21–22 March: J/70 Alster Regatta, NRV

28–29 March: J/70 Alster Regatta, HSC

2–5 April: J/70 training and regatta, Copenhagen

Early summer:

15–16 May: Heinz Kettler Germany Cup, Möhnesee

23–25 May: Training camp in Lausitz

29–31 May: RS Venture Connect International German Championship – Prien/Chiemsee

12–14 June: Helga Cup, Hamburg

Kieler Woche:

20–28 June: Training and regatta, plus a course for blind and visually impaired sailors in the state capital, Kiel

Summer:

8–11 July: J/70 International German Championship 16–21 July: RS Venture Connect European Championships 18–20 August: Inclusive RS Venture Regatta as part of SailGP Sassnitz

Autumn:

19–20 September: Heinz Kettler Germany Cup – Belgium | October: RS Venture Connect World Championship – Portugal

7–8 November: Väterchen Frost Alster – HSC

14 November: Kalte Kanne Alster – NRV

2nd German Sailing Bundesliga: Over five match days, the team will once again prove that inclusion and competitive regatta sailing go hand in hand: 17–19 April and 1–3 May: Lake Starnberg | 10–12 July: Kiel Fjord | 18–20 September: Wannsee, Berlin | 15–17 October: Final at Wannsee, Berlin. In addition, there will be joint training sessions with the Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany.

The research collaboration with the University of Hamburg is expected to continue into 2026. This research partnership will help to continuously improve the quality of the work and to document and share the insights gained for the benefit of all inclusive sailing projects.

This extensive programme – ranging from international championships in Portugal and the European Championships to regattas in Belgium and Copenhagen – impressively demonstrates that the BAT Sailing Team is no longer merely a German project, but an internationally connected player in inclusive sailing. Inclusion in sailing is not only possible, but enriches the sport for everyone.