Travemünde Week has begun: at 6 pm sharp on Friday 17 July, Lübeck’s mayor, Jan Lindenau, gave the signal “Hoist the flag!”, thereby sending visitors and participants off to enjoy ten fantastic days on the River Trave and the Baltic Sea. Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Claus Ruhe Madsen, then took on the task of sending the yachts off on the first regatta of the 137th edition of the regatta and festival week by hoisting the state flag. On the River Trave, the phalanx of 17 yachts heading out onto the Baltic Sea for the long-distance regatta around Fehmarn presented an impressive sight.
Earlier, the organisers and dignitaries had looked ahead to the events of one of the world’s largest sailing weeks. Claus Ruhe Madsen, who stood in for Minister Aminata Touré – who was unwell – at the opening ceremony, emphasised the event’s great appeal for the state of Schleswig-Holstein. “We are the land of the seas; organising major sailing events like this is in our blood. Not only Kiel Week, but also Travemünde Week show that we in Schleswig-Holstein are also capable of hosting the Olympic Games. The Olympics would be a fantastic opportunity for Schleswig-Holstein.” With 30 participating nations, Travemünde Week has an impact far beyond the borders of the state and Germany, and is thus also a driving force for the economy and tourism.
Mayor Jan Lindenau sees Travemünde Week not only as a flagship event for the region, but also, thanks to its growing presence within the city, as a source of increased local identification with the event: “Some people may still draw a distinction between Travemünde and Lübeck. But if you walk through the city centre now, you’ll naturally see the Travemünde Week flags flying in front of the Holstentor as well. Travemünde Week is an integral part of Lübeck as a whole.”
Events such as the Seven Tower SUP Race around the Old Town island bring Travemünde Week into the heart of the city. Meanwhile, the heart of the festival and of sailing beats right at the mouth of the River Trave and on the Baltic Sea. Several hundred thousand visitors are expected over the coming week and, alongside numerous concerts, culinary delights and other festival activities, they will be treated to a sailing programme in a class of its own. TW Sports Director Jens Kath, together with his Chief Race Director Anderl Denecke and the organising teams, is looking forward to welcoming 1,600 sailors, who will take to the water in 900 boats, representing 30 nations.
The World and European Championships, the other title races and ranking regattas will be contested by young and old, beginners and experienced athletes alike – and, in the case of the RS Venture Connect European Championship, by inclusive teams as well. Jens Kroker, Germany’s most successful Paralympic sailor, and his bowman, 14-year-old Malden Scheffler, took the sporting oath at Travemünde Week. Both are looking forward to competing in their first regatta together and will only set their goals over the coming days.
Jens Kroker and Malden Scheffler took the ‘Sports Oath’ at Travemünde Week. Photo: Christian Beeck
“It’s a fantastic number of entries. To organise it all, we’ll be sailing on ten regatta courses,” said Sports Director Jens Kath about this year’s event. He was already looking ahead to the coming years and expects events to be just as strong as this year’s.
TW Managing Director Frank Schärffe has given the green light to the sporting management’s lofty ambitions: “We’d like to thank the town for providing us with the land-based facilities for the organisation. We’re well booked up. But there’s still a bit of room left, so the dream of 1,000 boats at Travemünde Week can certainly be realised.”
With these prospects and the signal “Hoist the flag!”, the event finally got underway amid the loud blare of the regatta organisers’ Typhon horns, a fountain of smoke from the stern of the “Lisa von Lübeck” and the applause of the visitors – with the yacht sailors heading out onto the course and the festival-goers making their way to the party mile.
