Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein wins Penultimate German J/70 Sailing League event
by J/Boats 20 Oct 2023 16:15 BST
Penultimate German J/70 Sailing League event 2023 © Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga
Little wind and lots of thermals, plus bright autumn weather. This is how Lake Constance presented itself to the eighteen first-division teams from all over Germany this past weekend in front of the host Segeln und Motorboten Club Überlingen (SMCÜ).
"We were able to fully rely on the experience of the locals, who know their lake very well," says Anke Nowak, managing director of the Sailing Bundesliga. "So, we always knew when the wind would start again, and at times we had up to 10 knots on the regatta course. But, the thermals always only came in the early afternoon, when the fog had cleared, so on two days we were on the water until sunset."
The team from the Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein (NRV) coped best with the difficult wind conditions. With Olympian Tobias Schadewaldt at the tiller, the team that included Daniel Reichardt, Juliane Adelssen, and Miklas Schaper was able to win the regatta. The Hamburg champions, who have already won the Segel-Bundesliga championship trophy six times, are now in second place with 23 points. Meanwhile, the current leader, Munich Yacht Club (MYC), is now leading at 22 points only a single point ahead of the perennial NRV champion team. Third on the leaderboard is the SMCÜ with 33 points, followed by the Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC), and Hemelingen Water Sports Club (WVH) with 37 points each.
"It was a great day of sailing with unexpectedly good conditions, where the most important thing was to start well and drive straight ahead quickly," says Tobias Schadewaldt. "I'm glad that we managed it very well as a team and were able to prevail, especially in the duels against the Munich Yacht Club. Now everything is open again for the finale."
With a view to the finale in two weeks on Hamburg's gorgeous Alster Lake, the home turf of the NRV, he adds: "It will be a very exciting finale at home. We are looking forward to it and want to take the last point away from Munich on the way to the championship."
With 39-year-old Tobias Schadewaldt, the NRV has sent its best Bundesliga helmsman to Lake Constance for the penultimate match of the season. In 2012 he took part in the 49er at the Olympic Games in London/Weymouth and, as a former member of the NRV Olympic Team, remained loyal to the big club on Alster Lake. He spontaneously lived out his passion for the fast skiff dinghy 49er after the last flight of the league game day in Überlingen. "I saw a 49er sitting on the slip ramp. Then, I quickly ran over and asked if I could go for a ride. Luckily that was okay with the boys and so after around 10 years I was able to get back on a 49er," says Tobias Schadewaldt enthusiastically.
With a third place, the host SMCÜ is back on track for the SAILING Champions League, as in previous years. The Überlingen club, which has around 300 members, welcomed the Bundesliga sailors with great warmth and supported its team with a lot of passion and creativity.
"The SMCÜ supporters were on the water and loudly cheered on their team with horns and shouts," reports Anke Nowak. "It's great to see how an entire club is passionate about the Sailing Bundesliga and their team. On the water and land, the SMCÜ was once again an excellent partner for a first-class league event."
For Steffen Heßberger, helmsman of the successful SMCÜ league team, then regatta in front of the home crowd was also something very special.
"It was fantastic to sail in your club. We would like to thank the whole club for the great event! We are very happy with our performance and proud of our SMCÜ," he says. "The whole club was involved in the regatta, from the Opti kids cheering on the water to all the members and sponsors who always have our backs."