{"id":3166,"date":"2026-07-12T19:07:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T17:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/?p=3166"},"modified":"2026-08-28T10:33:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T08:33:12","slug":"competitive-regatta-racing-and-an-inclusive-crew-do-they-go-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/en\/competitive-regatta-racing-and-an-inclusive-crew-do-they-go-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Competitive regatta racing and an inclusive crew\u2014do they go together?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Four race wins, a 7th-place finish on matchday, and a jump from 13th to 10th place in the season standings: On Matchday 3 of the 2nd German Sailing Bundesliga on Kiel\u2019s Inner Fjord, the BAT Sailing Team\u2014embodying inclusion on the regatta course\u2014sailed a weekend that left everyone wanting more.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three days, 16 races, a race course right in the heart of the city: From July 10 to 12, 2026, our team took to the water off the Hotel Kieler Yacht-Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Race Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The opening day (Races 1\u20136)<\/strong> immediately showed what the crew is capable of. With results of 3 \u00b7 1 \u00b7 5 \u00b7 3 \u00b7 2 \u00b7 4, they recorded one race win and one second-place finish. 18 points, 9th place after day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day Two (Races 7\u201313)<\/strong> also began with a win. After that, it became clear just how unforgiving the middle of the pack is in this league: 1 \u00b7 6 \u00b7 6 \u00b7 4 \u00b7 3 \u00b7 5 \u00b7 4\u2014even small mistakes were immediately punished. After 13 races, the team was in 9th place with 47 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final day (races 14\u201316)<\/strong> turned out to be the best of the weekend: two consecutive wins to start, a third-place finish to close it out\u2014five points from three races. The crew sailed confidently, found the wind shifts early, and remained calm in the battles for position. They were rewarded with a jump from 9th place to 7th place<\/strong> in the day\u2019s standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line is four race wins<\/strong> against Germany\u2019s top clubs\u2014and a jump from 13th to 10th place in the season standings<\/strong> of the 2nd Sailing Bundesliga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our crew in Kiel:<\/strong> Marvin Hamm, Mieke Klein, David Koch, and Jan Mense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five Years in Kiel\u2014and a Visit That Meant a Lot to Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We were delighted by the visit from Gerwin St\u00f6cken<\/strong>, mayor of the state capital Kiel and the city\u2019s sports commissioner. On Saturday, he was at the fjord watching the races, and he was also present at the awards ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, this is more than just a gesture. For five years now, we\u2019ve been partners with the city for inclusive sailing through the BAT Sailing Team\u2014putting inclusion into practice on the regatta course during Kiel Week. And it was right here in Kiel that our inclusive J\/70 crew made its very first regatta appearance five years ago. Today, we\u2019re in our third year competing in the German Sailing League. The path between these two milestones is exactly the one we set out to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then there\u2019s the question that comes up again and again<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVisually impaired and blind people on board\u2014is that even possible?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hear this question often. And we hear something else, usually well-intentioned: advice on what a person with a disability should avoid doing. How much exercise, at what intensity, under what conditions\u2014all of that tends to be decided by others as soon as a disability is involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s exactly what we want to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sailing isn\u2019t a dangerous sport. But like any sport practiced intensively, it carries certain risks: You can get injured, you can capsize, you can fall overboard. This applies to everyone on board\u2014people with disabilities just as much as anyone else. And how intensely, under what conditions, and at what level he sails\u2014that\u2019s something our visually impaired sailor, David Koch, decides for himself<\/strong>. He\u2019s the best person to do so. He is a responsible adult who knows his sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This self-determination is no minor matter. It is the core of what we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What drives us: Making inclusion visible. Enabling participation\u2014beyond traditional recreational and fitness sports, all the way into competitive regatta racing. In our boat, people with and without disabilities sit side by side at the same tacks, in the same league, under the same rules. On six identical J\/70s per race, sailing skill alone determines the outcome. We are not an exception in the field\u2014we are one of 18 teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to set my own limits on what I can do with my disability. That is our message.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Winners of Matchday 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n