Including the Alster: Hamburg-Nord and Hamburg-Mitte are taking on joint patronageInklusive Alster: Hamburg-Nord und Hamburg-Mitte übernehmen gemeinsame Schirmherrschaft
Kick-off at the Hamburg Sailing Club: Seven partners are turning the Alster into a location for inclusive water sports that is unique in Germany
Hamburg – The ‘Inclusive Alster’ is now under dual patronage: Dr Bettina Schomburg, Head of the Hamburg-Nord District Office, and Ralf Neubauer, Head of the Hamburg-Mitte District Office, jointly assumed this role today, Thursday, at the Hamburg Sailing Club. To mark the launch, pupils from the Bugenhagen School in Alsterdorf, both with and without disabilities, took to the water together – accompanied by Tobias Munz, headteacher of the Bugenhagen School in Alsterdorf.
With this dual patronage, both districts are emphasising that the Alster, as a shared water sports area, is a place where inclusion is put into practice – and that this project, which is unique in Germany, enjoys strong support across the city.
“As a cosmopolitan city, Hamburg needs the Alster to be an inclusive sailing area – this is the goal set by the ‘Inclusive Alster’ network of associations. So let’s set sail for it and get going! Across districts and with fantastic partners, we’re on the right course!”
Dr Bettina Schomburg, Head of the Hamburg-Nord District Office
“The Alster connects our districts – and ‘Inclusive Alster’ connects people. What is taking shape here is not a model project on paper, but participation in action: week after week, boat after boat. That’s what makes this network a true beacon for Hamburg.”
Ralf Neubauer, Head of the Hamburg-Mitte District Office
Seven clubs, three sports, year-round activities
‘Inclusive Alster’ brings together seven partners from Hamburg’s water sports scene to form a network that is unique in Germany. Together, they enable people with and without disabilities to sail, paddle and row on the Alster. What sets this project apart from others is its continuity: it is not limited to one-off events, but is a year-round, structured programme featuring weekly courses, inclusive regattas and a established network of coaches, teachers and medical professionals.
In 2025, over 150 children and young people took part in the regular activities; in the current 2026 season, the figure has already risen to over 160. The programme itself has also expanded: the school sailing project with the Bugenhagen School in Alsterdorf has been extended to include a second course level, giving over 100 children and young people regular access to inclusive sailing. In 2026, canoeing and rowing were added to the programme through partnerships with the Hamburg Canoe Club and the Rowing Club at the Teichwiesen; the latter offers activities for blind and visually impaired children and young people. The ‘Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany’ is, for the first time, training young people with disabilities to become sailors capable of leading inclusive crews, whilst the ‘BAT Sailing Team – Inclusion in Action on the Regatta Course’ is now in its third season in the 2nd German Sailing Bundesliga.
The impact has also been scientifically proven: a three-year study of the ‘BAT Sailing Team – Inclusion in Action on the Regatta Course’ conducted by Humboldt University of Berlin, Leuphana University of Lüneburg and the University of Hamburg was published in 2024 in the journal ‘Frontiers in Sports and Active Living’.
At the end of 2025, Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. was awarded the Annemarie Dose Prize jointly with the Hamburg Sailing Club.
“Inclusion begins with language – and becomes a reality on the water.”
Patronage
Dr Bettina Schomburg, Head of the Hamburg-Nord District Office · Ralf Neubauer, Head of the Hamburg-Mitte District Office
The partners of the Inclusive Alster
Hamburger Kanu-Club e.V. (HKC) · Hamburger Segel-Club (HSC) · Hamburger Segel-Verband (HSgV) · Ruder-Club Favorite Hammonia (RCFH) · Ruderverein an den Teichwiesen e.V. (RVT) · Segel-Verein Altona-Oevelgönne (SVAOe) · Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. (WsW)
Visual material
Press images from the launch on 17 September are available for download free of charge in print quality:
www.flickr.com/photos/svenjjj/albums/72177720335588758
Please credit the images as follows: Stefan Hoyer / Sven Jürgensen / Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.
About Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.
Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V. promotes and organises inclusive sailing in Germany. The association focuses on working with people with disabilities, organises the world’s largest women’s sailing regatta and initiated the ‘Inklusive Alster’ network.
Press contact
Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.
Sven Jürgensen, Chair
Mobile: 0171 683 5555
Email: sven.juergensen@wir-sind-wir.org
Website: www.wir-sind-wir.org
#wirallesegeln #alleanbord #inklusivealster
