Inclusive Regatta at SailGP in Sassnitz: Norway Wins After 32 Races
Three days of inclusive sailing · 15 crews from four nations · A 1.3-point lead at the finish · Awards ceremony with patron Stefanie Drese at the Germany SailGP Team’s base
Sassnitz, August 21, 2026
The inclusive regatta in Sassnitz’s city harbor came to a close on Thursday evening. After three days and 32 races, the SALTO SAILING Team Norway won with 19.4 points. Second place went to the Bat Sailing Team with 20.7 points, and third place to the BYC Inclusion Team from the Bavarian Yacht Club on Lake Starnberg with 26.2 points—just two-tenths of a point ahead of the fourth-place Waveboys.
The regatta took place from August 18 to 20, running concurrently with the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix: 15 crews from Belgium, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic, each with an inclusive crew. People with and without disabilities in the same boats, following the same rules, competing head-to-head—on eight accessible boats of the RS Venture Connect class. The regatta also served as the second round of the Heinz Kettler Cup.
Beyond the sporting results, these three days left a lasting legacy: a donation of 2,000 euros to Kinderlachen 009 Rügen e.V.—and guided tours during which wheelchair-bound guests from Sassnitz, Binz, and the surrounding region could board the boats directly from their wheelchairs.
The Results
Andreas Schorr from the race committee announced the results. Awards were presented to the top four finishers:
1. SALTO SAILING Team Norway with Stian Kristiansen and Elliot Finnestrand – 19.4 points
2. Bat Sailing Team with Christina Schober and Saskia Gense – 20.7 points
3. BYC Inclusion Team, Bavarian Yacht Club on Lake Starnberg, with Christian Bittner and Nina Gumbel – 26.2 points
4. Waveboys with Calle Sibbert and Hans Nee – 26.4 points
It could hardly have been more exciting: In the end, 1.3 points separated the winner from the runner-up, and two-tenths of a point separated third and fourth place. The BYC Inclusion Team had led after the opening day with four wins out of four races—but a false start and a race they did not compete in set the team back as the series progressed. The competition was scored using the low-point system: the team with the fewest points wins.
Complete results: https://www.manage2sail.com/DE/event/HKDC20262#!/results
Four Special Medals
In addition to the placings, four special medals were awarded:
Tim Krieglstein, CEO of the Germany SailGP Team
Anne van der Wereld, Team Manager of the Germany SailGP Team
Stefanie Drese, Minister of Social Affairs, Health, and Sports for the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and patron of the regatta
Thomas Riedel, partner and founder of the Germany SailGP Team
They were honored for their outstanding contributions to inclusive sailing: They break down barriers, raise the profile of inclusive sailing—and the fact that the inclusive regatta is even part of the SailGP race weekend is largely thanks to them. They are among the initiators of this format and have been supporting it ever since.
Three Days in Numbers
3 days of racing, August 18–20, 2026, Sassnitz City Harbor
32 races in total
15 crews from four nations: Belgium, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic
8 accessible boats of the RS Venture Connect class
Over 50 volunteers on duty
2,000 euros donated to Kinderlachen 009 Rügen e.V.
2nd edition of the inclusive regatta alongside SailGP
Awards ceremony at the Germany SailGP Team’s Team Base
The awards ceremony took place on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at the very location where the F50 catamarans are prepared during the day: the Germany SailGP Team’s Team Base, presented by Deutsche Bank. Around 100 guests gathered—crews and their companions, volunteers, and representatives from the city, the organizing clubs, and the partners.
Stefanie Drese, Minister of Social Affairs, Health, and Sports for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, served as patron of the regatta. She presented the awards together with Heiko Miraß, Parliamentary State Secretary for Western Pomerania and Eastern Mecklenburg.
“Inclusive sailing and the SailGP in Sassnitz go hand in hand. The past few days have impressively confirmed this. I am particularly thrilled that people with very different experiences and backgrounds are competing side by side here. From 10-year-old Sophia, who is visually impaired and only started sailing in 2025, to the medalist at the 2026 European Championships—everyone is part of the same competition. The inclusive sailing regatta as part of SailGP embodies active participation and, at the same time, sends a strong signal for the entire sport in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.” – Stefanie Drese, Minister of Social Affairs, Health, and Sports for the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The minister thanked everyone involved for making this sporting event possible.
The Heinz Kettler Cup, whose second day of competition was held in Sassnitz, traces its origins to the Heinz Kettler Foundation—the series’ namesake and founder. Board member Andreas Sand spoke on behalf of the foundation.
“At the Heinz Kettler Cup, sports and competition take center stage. In strong winds and occasional ‘driving rain,’ all crews battled their way through the races with great dedication. But by evening at the latest, what matters most is the sense of community: celebrating together, laughing, and sharing experiences. It is precisely this combination of athletic ambition and community that represents true, lived inclusion in sports.” – Andreas Sand, Board Member of the Heinz Kettler Foundation
More Than Just Sports: 2,000 Euros for Kinderlachen 009 Rügen
On the opening night at the Altes Kühlhaus, the regatta took a turn that no one had planned. A few days earlier, at the harbor festival in Sassnitz, we had met the volunteers from Kinderlachen 009 Rügen—an organization that supports sick and underprivileged children on Rügen and beyond. The encounter touched us so deeply that we spontaneously invited the volunteers to the opening ceremony.
There, Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. presented a donation of 1,000 euros. Two private donors each spontaneously contributed 500 euros. In the end, the total came to 2,000 euros.
What’s Next
Regatta-accompanying cruises for wheelchair users are our new project this year. Anyone who uses a wheelchair can board the “Henk de Mol” directly—without having to leave their wheelchair. We won’t be sailing on a sightseeing boat, but on a modern, sporty sailboat, right next to the regatta course.
This is made possible by the wheelchair-accessible改装 of the “Henk de Mol,” which was co-funded by the Herman van Veen Foundation. Its vice chair, Steffi Nerius—2009 world champion in javelin throw, 2006 European champion, and Olympic silver medalist, born in Bergen on Rügen—delivered a welcoming speech on the opening night and joined the trips herself.
So far, the trips have been a great success—and a first for many on board. Among the guests were people with significant support needs for whom sailing had previously been out of reach: not for lack of interest, but for lack of access. On the “Henk de Mol,” they experienced the wind, waves, and speed up close. There were moving moments for everyone involved—for the guests as well as their companions, support staff, and our crew. These are trips that no one will forget anytime soon.
The trips will continue through August 23. Registrations can be made through the press contact.
The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank also underscores that this initiative will continue. CEO Tim Krieglstein:
“Sailing is a sport that breaks down barriers and brings people together—regardless of age, gender, or physical abilities. For the Germany SailGP Team, renewing our partnership with this inclusive regatta as part of the Heinz Kettler Germany Cup is a matter very close to our hearts. What the ‘Wir sind Wir’ club is accomplishing here impressively demonstrates how sailing works on an equal footing. We are proud to support this effort as a partner and to work together to make the sport even more accessible and inclusive.” – Tim Krieglstein, CEO of the Germany SailGP Team
All parties involved intend to hold the inclusive regatta again in 2027 as part of SailGP.
Supported by Strong Clubs
SailGP Inclusive 2026 was not an event organized by a single club. As co-hosting clubs, the Seglerhaus am Wannsee, the Berliner Yacht-Club, the Yachtclub Möhnesee, and the Verein Inklusives Segeln für Alle e.V. supported the regatta and provided guidance throughout the three days. Race management was handled by Andreas Schorr from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee.
A regatta of this size cannot be pulled off without such partners. The fact that four clubs contribute their experience, their people, and their time so that people with and without disabilities can compete together is, for us, the very essence of this event.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the city of Sassnitz, Mayor Leon Kräusche, and City President Norbert Benedict, as well as the Sassnitz City Harbor, for hosting the event.
SailGP Inklusiv 2026 was made possible by: the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Vorpommern Fund, the Heinz Kettler Foundation, the Viessmann Foundation, and the Deutsche Postcode Lottery—supported by their participants. Also, Salzbrenner Würstchen, ELLETEC, and the Hamburg Meat Wholesale Market.
And a special thank you to the more than 50 volunteers from Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, who made this event possible in the first place. Their dedication extended far beyond the three days of racing: from preparation to setup, safety measures, and on-water support to takedown, they were on the job the entire time.
Press Service
We can provide audio clips and images on short notice.
Photo credit: © Marcel Haupt / Germany SailGP Team and Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. All images are royalty-free for reporting on the event—please include the respective photo credit.
Press photos from SailGP Inclusive 2026: https://www.flickr.com/photos/svenjjj/albums/72177720335185770
Press release from August 18 (kickoff and donation): https://www.wir-sind-wir.org/2-000-euro-fuer-kinderlachen-009-ruegen-inklusive-regatta-in-sassnitz-startet-mit-einer-spende/
Detailed press release dated August 5: https://www.wir-sind-wir.org/neben-den-schnellsten-booten-der-welt-in-sassnitz-segeln-menschen-mit-und-ohne-behinderung-dieselbe-regatta/
Press Contact
We are Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. · Sven Jürgensen
sven.juergensen@wir-sind-wir.org · +49 171 683 5555 · www.wir-sind-wir.org
in partnership with the Berliner Yacht-Club, the Yachtclub Möhnesee, the Seglerhaus am Wannsee Association, and the Inklusives Segeln für Alle e.V. Association
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