In two sessions on the Baltic Sea, Sophia, Tristan, Paul, and Fenna sailed out to the 49er FX regatta course and watched the races from a safe distance. During the breaks between races, they got a taste of the 49er FX experience\u2014and were able to watch Hamburg\u2019s two top teams, Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille, as well as Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer, in action. It\u2019s the very same boat class in which our BAT patron, Susann Beucke, won Olympic silver\u2014a wonderful connection for our young sailors. Two of the four are specifically preparing for regattas. One of them is ten-year-old Sophia, who is visually impaired and will be competing this year in the inclusive regatta organized by \u201cWir sind Wir\u201d in collaboration with the Germany SailGP Team as part of the SailGP in Sassnitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smiling and utterly enthusiastic faces showed what inclusive sailing is all about\u2014and why this work is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BAT Sailing Team Has Arrived<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Also on the first day, our BAT Sailing Team arrived in Kiel and has already completed its first training runs off Kiel-Schilksee. There\u2019s great anticipation for the regatta course\u2014and Kiel Week holds special significance for the team: this is where the inclusive crew once competed in its first regattas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2026, the BAT Sailing Team\u2014a joint project of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and Wir sind Wir Inclusion in Sailing e.V.\u2014will celebrate its fifth anniversary. Currently, 18 people with and without disabilities are sailing together in regattas\u2014including 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\u2019s patron is Susann Beucke, silver medalist in Olympic sailing at the Tokyo Games. The vision is clear: #alleanbord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s Next<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And it continues: Starting June 21, the sailing course for blind and visually impaired people begins, and on June 22, the team will set out onto the Baltic Sea for the first time aboard the 70-foot yacht \u201cLittle Dream.\u201d The sporting highlight will be the J\/70 regatta from June 25 to 28\u2014the BAT Sailing Team, putting inclusion into practice on the regatta course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A huge thank you to the entire team at the Schilksee Olympic Harbor (Sporthafen Kiel GmbH), who have once again taken such incredible care of us and supported us\u2014and to the state capital of Kiel for funding these inclusive sailing activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join us for a sail now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wir-sind-wir.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC03554-1024x683.jpg\")
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