Kieler Woche Inklusiv 2026: A Wonderful Start

The “Henk de Mol” and the Journey Toward an Inclusive Boat for Everyone

With the start of Kiel Week on Saturday, June 20, 2026, our inclusive sailing program also began at the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Harbor—and the opening weekend could hardly have been better. Fantastic sailing conditions, wonderful guests, and many volunteers: people with and without disabilities are sailing together, right in the thick of it rather than just on the sidelines. We’re making these inclusive programs a reality as a joint project between Inklusives Segeln für Alle e.V. and Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.

Regatta-Accompanying Cruises for Wheelchair Users—the “Henk de Mol”

With the “Henk de Mol,” we offer barrier-free regatta escort cruises for wheelchair users during Kiel Week. The boat—a BENTE24 owned by our partner Inklusives Segeln für Alle e.V. that has been inclusively converted with an open deck—has been in service with us in Kiel for four years.

What makes it special: People in wheelchairs can roll directly on board and immediately find a safe spot even in unfamiliar surroundings—there’s no need to transfer to special seats. We set out daily onto the Outer Fjord, accompanied by an experienced support team.

Just how moving this experience is was evident once again this weekend: On board were a 13-year-old girl from Kiel in a wheelchair and Tjark Schimmel, an active sailor who has been in a wheelchair since an accident but has long since returned to the helm himself. Tjark regularly steers the “Henk de Mol” on his own—and enjoys every tack.

Together with BENTE Yachts: Looking Ahead

Here in Kiel, we’re also collaborating with BENTE Yachts. In addition to the “Henk de Mol,” the 1:1 cockpit model of the new BENTE25 open.i is on display—the “i” stands for inclusion. The mockup was already in use on the first day of the Heinz Kettler Germany Cup in Hamburg (May 14–15); now the roadshow continues at Kiel Week.

The model has a clear goal: to involve people with disabilities—especially wheelchair users—from the very beginning. They take a seat in the cockpit model themselves, test out procedures, and share their experiences. These suggestions are incorporated directly into the design—resulting in a boat that is co-designed by the very people it is intended for.

Our goal is a production-ready inclusive boat that opens up access to sailing even for people with severe physical disabilities—at many locations, from Kiel to Hamburg to Lake Constance.

The BENTE25 open.i is designed for both: for ambitious, regular sailing—and for anyone who simply wants to board in a wheelchair and enjoy a few relaxing hours on the water.

Youth Sailing Team Training Day

The Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany is deliberately charting its own course: It is not merely a recreational sports program, but a team for children and teens with disabilities who want to learn and compete in ambitious regatta racing. Training takes place weekly, supplemented by five training weekends throughout the season.

On Saturday, a training day was scheduled on the Baltic Sea. Sailing on our RS Venture Connect inclusive boats, Sophia, Tristan, Paul, and Fenna made their way to the 49er FX regatta course and watched the races from a safe distance—with the Hamburg teams led by Marla Bergmann/Hanna Wille and Sophie Steinlein/Catherine Bartelheimer competing live.

This is the very same boat class in which our BAT patron, Susann Beucke, won Olympic silver—a wonderful connection for our young sailors. Two of the four are specifically preparing for regattas, including 10-year-old Sophia, who is visually impaired: She will compete this year in the inclusive regatta that “Wir sind Wir” is organizing together with the Germany SailGP Team as part of the SailGP in Sassnitz.

Sailing Workshop for Visually Impaired and Blind People Has Begun

Our sailing workshop for visually impaired and blind people has been underway since June 21. Over three days (June 21–23), we are running it in collaboration with the BAT Sailing Team—with qualified instructors and volunteer sailors—using the RS Venture Connect boat class.

The BAT Sailing Team Has Arrived

Also on the first day, our BAT Sailing Team arrived in Kiel and completed its first training runs off Kiel-Schilksee. Kiel Week holds special significance for the team: this is where the inclusive crew once competed in its first regattas.

In 2026, the BAT Sailing Team—a joint project of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.—will celebrate its fifth anniversary. Currently, 18 people with and without disabilities are sailing regattas together—including blind, visually impaired, and deaf people, as well as wheelchair users, and, for the first time, two children and teenagers with visual impairments. In the 2025 season, the team secured its place in the league by finishing 11th out of 18; the team is currently sailing its third season in the 2nd German Sailing Bundesliga. The team’s patron is Susann Beucke. The vision is clear: #alleanbord.

At the J/70 regatta from June 25 to 28, two teams from the BAT Sailing Team will compete—the sporting highlight of Kiel Week, fully in line with the motto “BAT Sailing Team—inclusion in action on the regatta course.”

The schedule for the coming days

• June 21–23: Sailing workshop for visually impaired and blind people
• June 22 & 24: Cruises on the 70-foot sailboat “Little Dream” – “Front row – right in the middle”
• Daily through June 27: Accessible regatta viewing cruises for wheelchair users
• June 25–28: J/70 regatta with the BAT Sailing Team

Sign up to sail now

There are currently still a few spots available for the accessible regatta viewing cruises for wheelchair users. All information and registration are available at wir-sind-wir.org/inklusive-segel-mitmachangebote-kieler-woche-2026.

Inclusion Needs Visibility

Over the past two days, we’ve had guests on board who had never sailed before—people with disabilities who could hardly imagine that this sport was open to them as well. On the water, “that’s not possible” turns into “yes, I can sail.” Because sailing doesn’t exclude anyone: Here, we’re all in the same boat.

Inclusion needs visibility. Inclusion needs support. Inclusion needs strong partners. That’s exactly what we’re achieving here during Kiel Week—together with many friends, partners, and supporters. Join us, make it visible—and come sail with us.

Thank you

We’d like to thank all our guests, the many volunteers, the team at the Schilksee Olympic Harbor (Sporthafen Kiel GmbH) for their wonderful hospitality, Point of Sailing for their support, and the state capital of Kiel for funding these inclusive sailing activities.

All photos from the opening weekend can be found in our Flickr album.

A joint project of Inklusives Segeln für Alle e.V. and Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.