Kieler Woche 2026 – A Mother’s Account of Her Daughter’s Unforgettable Day of Sailing on the Baltic Sea

How an inclusive sailing project for children and youth helps them become ambitious competitive sailors

Inclusion in competitive sailing—is it possible? For the Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany, the answer is “yes” every single day. The team is an inclusive sailing project for children and teens with disabilities who don’t just want to sail occasionally, but who are ambitious and want to sail intensively—with the goal of becoming independent, skilled regatta sailors. It is therefore deliberately not a trial program, but a genuine sports project for young people who want more.

A special weekend just demonstrated this once again: As part of Kiel Week 2026, the team took part in a full-day training workshop on the Baltic Sea—an intense, wonderful day of sailing for our young sailors. And right in the middle of these days, we received a message from Sandra Hein, the mother of our sailor Sophia, that truly resonated with us and touched our hearts. It shows us that we’re on the right track.

Sophia is visually impaired—and that’s exactly what makes her journey so special. She had her first sailing lesson in May 2025, together with Susann Beucke, the silver medalist in sailing at the Tokyo Olympics. It quickly became clear just how passionate this child is about sailing and how much she loves it. A visual impairment presents a special challenge on the water: buoys, wind, and maneuvers cannot simply be taken in “at a glance,” and the first training sessions in particular therefore require a personalized, highly attentive approach. Sophia’s enthusiasm—along with that of other children and young people in similar situations—was a key reason for us to found the Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany in partnership with the Heinz Kettler Foundation. Today, Susann Beucke supports the team as an assistant coach—a beautiful thread running through Sophia’s journey so far.

Sophia is one of four young crew members on the starting team. We’re very happy to receive feedback from such a dedicated mother—and we’re pleased to share it today in her own words.

A Year on the Water – A Report by Sandra Hein

A week ago today, we were at the Helga Cup on the Alster; this weekend, we’re at Kieler Woche. Now I’m sitting here at the campground, my daughter is out on the water, and my husband and I are looking back on the past year.

Last May, our daughter sat in a sailboat for the first time. Today, we get to accompany her on her journey through regattas, training sessions, and major sailing events. When we look back on this year, one thing fills us above all else: gratitude.

Inclusion in Action, Not Just Big Words

We’ve found a club that’s passionately committed to inclusion—not just on paper or in policies, but in practical, everyday life. Here, the focus isn’t on what children can’t do, but on what can be made possible.

What we especially appreciate about “Wir sind Wir” is that inclusion is practiced here as a matter of course—something we find lacking in many other places. Without this commitment, many children—including our daughter—would likely never have had the opportunity to discover and actively participate in sailing in this way.

A Year Full of Experiences

For the past year, we’ve been spending a lot of time as a family on the Alster—at practices, regattas, and events. This year, we attended Kiel Week for the second time and got to experience just how much joy, community, and personal growth sailing offers.

As parents of a child with a disability, we understandably worry a great deal. For me, as a mother, it’s not always easy to let go. But especially over the past year, I’ve seen how positively all this time on the water has affected our daughter. Time and again, I see and feel how she’s growing through it, becoming more independent, and gaining self-confidence.

The close dialogue with everyone involved in “Wir sind Wir”—discussing my concerns, questions, and suggestions—also helps me a great deal. It’s reassuring to see that everyone responds to our child’s individual needs and works together to find solutions. That builds trust and helps me feel more at ease.

Safety is a top priority, especially at the major regattas. There are plenty of motorboats with experienced crew members on the water, and each team gets to decide for itself whether or not to participate in a regatta when the wind picks up. To me, this shows that it’s not just about talking about inclusion here—it’s about accepting every person exactly as they are.

Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany—a special project

Since last fall, our daughter has been part of the inclusive Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany. This team is still in its early stages and is unique in this form so far. That’s precisely why we see enormous potential in it for the sport of sailing, for inclusion, and above all for the children. This requires close collaboration among all those involved. The children participate in a mix of theory and hands-on workshops and spend a weekend together on the water once a month.

In numerous conversations with other parents on the team, we’ve found that we share many similar experiences. Our children grow through their tasks, gain self-confidence, take on responsibility, and make their own decisions. They are taken seriously and are allowed to decide for themselves when they need a break or which challenges they feel up to.

We see how sailing gives our children the opportunity to build self-confidence, strengthen their self-esteem, and be part of a community where they are welcome. For us as parents, it’s not about performance. Of course, we share in our children’s joy when they succeed. But what matters much more to us is participation, community, the acceptance of each individual, and the children’s enjoyment of what they do.

If sailing also has the positive effect of helping our children develop self-confidence, inner strength, and courage for their future paths in life, then that is priceless to us. That is why we cannot thank the club and everyone involved enough for launching such a valuable and forward-looking project with the Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany.

Of course, things don’t always go perfectly. But week after week, we see people who, with great dedication, expertise, and countless volunteer hours, ensure that our children are able to have these experiences.

For that, we simply want to say thank you today. Thank you to everyone whose commitment helps our children grow, learn, and find their place in a strong community.