groupH is pleased to be one of the companies that sponsor an annual sailing Regatta for children in Germany. The races are held in June each year at a small club based on the shores of Tegernsee, one of the mountain lakes outside of Munich.
One of Yacht-Club am Tegernsee’s main objectives is to promote children from all social backgrounds to learn how to sail and to encourage them to race. Without sponsorship, the club and the competitions would not be accessible to some. Despite being a small club, some of its youth members are high in the German rankings.
The ‘Silver Opti’ Regatta is aimed at children from the ages of 7 up to 15, in a type of dinghy specifically designed for children called an Optimist – or Opti for short. There are two performance classes, and races take place over two days with the aim of winning the coveted Silver Cup. In addition, the children collect points to qualify for German and European championships.
A total of 62 children took part in this year’s event. 34 signed up for the Opti-A class and 28 for the Opti-B class. Although most came from the local region of Bavaria, the Regatta is open to children from all over Germany.
Over the race weekend, weather conditions were very challenging. On Saturday, these tested the children’s ability to react to constantly changing wind directions, and endure cold and continuous rain. A hearty sailor’s dinner that evening was very much welcomed – full board is one of the provisions that the Regatta sponsorship enables. By Sunday the wind had dropped completely, unfortunately ruling out completing all of the planned races.
Nevertheless, the children all had a brilliant time. The silver trophy went to Opti-A winner Clara Borlinghaus from Munich’s Yacht Club. Yacht-Club am Tegernsee’s Kathrin Steiner came second, and promising performances were shown by other members.
We look forward to hearing how the races go next year, here’s hoping for better weather!
