Pilot Project for Inclusive Regatta Racing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany is a unique pilot project that was officially founded on October 12, 2025. Our goal is to train children and young people with various disabilities to become skilled, independent sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t want our young sailors to simply be along for the ride. We empower them to take on responsibility independently on the water and to successfully participate in regattas as competent members of inclusive crews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since sailing is no longer part of the Paralympic program, young people with disabilities lack professional training structures in competitive sailing. We aim to close this very gap and create a platform for qualified and ambitious competitive sailing training\u2014not in the parasport sector, but in mainstream competitive sailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organized by:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Patron:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna Barth, tactician for the Germany SailGP Team<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supported by:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Leander is in seventh grade at the Eric Kandel Gymnasium in Ahrensburg and has complex thoracic insufficiency with spinal malformations and approximately 65 percent lung function. Despite having undergone more than 30 surgeries and facing other health challenges, nothing stops him from participating in everything he can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equipped with a back protector, he enthusiastically rides a longboard, has been paddling his SUP across the Baltic Sea since his eighth birthday, and plays drums in two youth orchestras. When it comes to sailing, he really shines\u2014it\u2019s all about speed with manageable physical risk. The benefits of inclusive boats allow his physical limitations to fade completely into the background. He enjoys the combination of technical know-how, teamwork, and athletic ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophia has a visual impairment and has been allowed to sail since May 2025\u2014and she thinks it\u2019s simply wonderful. For her, sailing means a break from her stressful daily life and a connection to the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery time the wind and water rush past my ears, I feel a little adventure inside me,\u201d Sophia says. The thrill she feels when sailing fast and heeling over\u2014whether during training or regattas\u2014is especially motivating for her. Her greatest wish is to become a good sailor and to learn how to capsize safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tristan is in sixth grade at Bugenhagen School and lives with ADHD, which sometimes makes everyday life challenging. Above all, he struggles with hyperactivity, inattention, and severe difficulty concentrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four years ago, he helmed a small catamaran for the first time. Since this year, he has been enthusiastically sailing with Wir sind Wir. When sailing, he finds it much easier to concentrate. Here, he finds his center and realizes that he can handle even more complex situations. He can understand and follow instructions without any trouble\u2014something he finds very difficult in other situations. He also has a very good feel for the wind and for steering a boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nomine uses a wheelchair and has been sailing since she was five. She earned her sailing license at age eight and already has impressive regatta experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2024, she made her debut at the HelgaCup in Hamburg and won right away with her partner, Jola Sch\u00f6nebeck. That same year, she also won the Heinz Kettler Cup in Schwerin with her sailing partner Silke Basedow. In 2025, she was runner-up at the Helga Cup with Jola Sch\u00f6nebeck and, as part of Sail GP Germany in Sassnitz, became the International German Champion in inclusive sailing with Silke Basedow, as well as the winner of the second day of competition at the Heinz Kettler Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An entire book could be written about her joy, enthusiasm, and ambition as she pursues her athletic interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Titus has juvenile macular dystrophy, a visual impairment. Water has always been his element, and he loves to swim and paddle on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he was about ten years old, he developed a desire to learn to sail. At first, a summer camp course was more of a source of stress for him\u2014it was impossible to follow the instructions because, due to his visual impairment, he couldn\u2019t see the buoys he was supposed to sail around, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Together with his coach Calle and the \u201cWir sind Wir\u201d club, things are different now, and he loves feeling the wind in his face on the Alster. \u201cTo me, sailing means fun and freedom,\u201d says Titus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pilot Project for Inclusive Regatta Racing About Our Team The Heinz Kettler Inclusive Youth Sailing Team Germany is a unique pilot project that was officially founded on October 12, 2025. Our goal is to train children and young people with various disabilities to become skilled, independent sailors. We don\u2019t want our young sailors to simply […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unkategorisiert"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3123"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3124,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3123\/revisions\/3124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
Our Team Members<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Leander, 12 years old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sophia Emilia Hein, 10 years old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tristan Matthies, 12 years old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Nomine Fabian<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Titus, 13 years old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n