We couldn’t do it without them. We’re talking about the volunteers who help out at Travemünde Week. Year after year, the team works from dawn to dusk in a wide variety of areas, making a crucial contribution to the sailing event. For most team members, Travemünde Week has been a fixed date in their calendars for years or even decades. Many take vacation to be there and lend a hand. Yesterday, the volunteer crew gathered for the annual team evening on the four-masted barque “Passat” for a big “TW family reunion” with a buffet, music, and dancing.
Regatta organization, jury, check-in, pantry crews, award ceremony, technical team, security personnel, and many more volunteers make up the Travemünde Week volunteer team. Photo: Christian Beeck/TW
The volunteer team at Travemünde Week covers a wide range of tasks, from pantry service and check-in to organizing the award ceremonies and prizes. By far the most people are employed in the area of dinghies and safety boats, followed by the check-in crew and those responsible for land organization, as well as the organization and administration team. The transport and shuttle service, jury support, scoring, technology, and logistics also fall within the remit of the volunteers. The team is by no means limited to members of the participating sailing clubs. Every helping hand is welcome, and not all members of the TW team are sailors. The common bond between them all is Travemünde Week and the desire to make it a success together.
The volunteer supporters on land and at sea also include members of three important organizations: the Technical Relief Service (THW), the German Red Cross Water Rescue Service, and the German Life Saving Association (DLRG). Together, they form the Travemünde Week Safety Association. Due to the somewhat smaller sailing program, there are slightly fewer volunteers this year. The safety association has found a pragmatic way to ensure that everyone can still be involved, at least to some extent: numerous volunteers are sharing the work at Travemünde Week on a daily basis.
Volunteers from all areas celebrated together yesterday at the team evening on the four-masted barque “Passat.” “Travemünde Week 2025 is a little different. There are waves in sailing. Sometimes there are many sailors who find their way to us, this year there are a little fewer. Next year will be completely different again, with the various RS class championships and the Vaurien class world championships. We will have to plan carefully how to accommodate them all. 2027 will also be very different: we have confirmation for the Joint German Youth and Junior Championships, and the Dragons will be competing for their Gold Cup. But this year will also be a good year for sailing, just a little more subdued,” said Jens Kath, sports director of Travemünde Week, at the start of the evening.
“We couldn’t do it without you as our support team. We would now like to officially welcome the Berlin Yacht Club team to our ranks,” he continued. To further recognize the commitment of the volunteers, the “Team of the Year” award was presented to a volunteer crew for the first time yesterday. The “Land-Orga Priwall” team gratefully accepted the award and a commemorative gift. Jens Kath took the opportunity to remember the former head of the Priwall team, Holger Bull, who passed away at the end of June, and the always good cooperation with him. Bull was remembered in the traditional manner with the eight bells customary in sailing circles.
Travemünde Week cultivates its network
Halfway through Travemünde Week, the organizers invite the regatta week’s sponsors and supporters to a joint breakfast at the Atlantic Grand Hotel Travemünde. With delicious food and good conversation, they cultivate networks for the coming years.
LYC Chairman Lutz Kleinfeldt was among the sponsors present to promote Travemünde Week further on social media. Photo: Christian Beeck/TW
Kleinfeldt summed up the first few days, saying that the sailors had enjoyed themselves immensely. “Everyone was thrilled. The weather captivated the participants. That’s important for the future because the sailors will carry these great emotions far and wide as ambassadors.”
Regardless of the weather conditions, the organizers ensure that Travemünde Week runs smoothly. Four clubs are responsible for race management, with support from others. The Lübecker Yacht-Club, which is primarily responsible, has grown in recent years. Traditionally, the NRV from Hamburg is the co-organizer. The Zurich Yacht Club has been involved for five years, and this year, the Berlin Yacht Club officially joined.
However, financing the event has become more difficult since the start of the pandemic, as Kleinfeldt emphasized. Before the pandemic, the sailing program was financed by a surplus from the festival program. This is no longer possible. Consequently, Travemünde Week has been dependent on support from the city, including financial support and the development of a uniform marketing presence.
This marketing is being promoted further in business circles. Lutz Kleinfeldt encouraged the supporters and sponsors in attendance to promote Travemünde Week and its international appeal within their networks to expand the range of sponsors.
The cheque from Volksbank Lübeck will go towards the Topcat youth project
At yesterday’s Volksbank Trave Race, 26-year-old Topcat sailor Paul Säger was delighted with his victory and a cheque for €300. In his first season in the K3X class, he is currently leading the International Championship and dominating the field on the regatta course.
Victory in the Volksbank Trave Race for the K3 Topcats: Paul Säger. Photo: Christian Beeck/TW
The native of the Palatinate region plans to invest the prize money from the Volksbank Trave Race in the Topcat class. ‘Since we have a large youth division, which we have put a lot of work into and which I helped to build up, the prize money will probably go there. We always need new equipment,’ says Säger, who works as a student trainee at Topcat.
This is the first season for the sailor from the Sail-Lollipop Regatta Club with the single-handed boat in the Topcat class. Previously, he competed in the K2 class for around 20 years alongside his father, who introduced him to sailing at the age of six. ‘We got to know the Topcat catamarans at the Robinson Club and have stuck with them all these years,’ says Säger, who, after a good two decades sailing with his father, finally wanted to go his own way. ‘Two hotheads on a boat isn’t always easy. At some point, one has to go. I also wanted to steer myself and said to myself, “I think I can do it now.”’
After deciding to continue without his father, Säger initially sailed in classes K1 and K2, but then decided to sail K3X in Travemünde and trained hard for it last year. “I never thought it would go so well here at Travemünde Week. I’m really happy that it’s going so well. The sailing area here is excellent. On the first day, there was a lot of seaweed on the course, but after that the conditions were great and fair,” said the K3 sailor happily. He would have liked a little more wind for the Volksbank Trave Race, though.
Nevertheless, the show races on the Trave were a good opportunity to showcase the class. And the 470s want to take advantage of this opportunity today. Their Volksbank Trave Race is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Paul Säger is delighted to receive the winner’s cheque for €300 at the Volksbank Trave Race, presented to him by Volksbank board member Christian Mehrens. Photo: Christian Beeck/TW
