NRV Wins German J/70 Sailing League Finale

ByStuart Johnstone
Sailboats racing on a lake under clouds.


Wired logo with a pixelated design.

(Berlin, Germany)- The 2025 German J/70 Sailing League competed for the coveted championship trophy for sailing clubs on Berlin’s Wannsee Lake. Going into the finale, only a few points separated the three frontrunners from the overall title – Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC), Joersfelder Segel-Club (JSC), and Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV).

The final races promised thrilling competition. Only one point separated the defending champion MSC (Hamburg) from its closest rival, the Berlin JSC. With a further point separating them, the record holder NRV was lurking, waiting for its chance to reclaim the title.

For MSC, helmsman Max Augustin started with his well-practiced team, while NRV relied on its successful J/70 junior crew with helmsman Mats Schönbeck in the duel of the Hamburg clubs.

An idea that became an institution
“We are looking forward to a thrilling season finale with the best league sailors from German clubs,†said Sailing Bundesliga manager Anke Nowak. “It’s an idea that has become an institution over the past decade: The Segel Bundesliga has revolutionized the sporting standards in the participating sailing clubs. League teams and training on the J/70 are now an integral part of German club sailing.â€

For many clubs, the Segel Bundesliga has long been a central component of their club strategy. Depending on sporting ambitions and performance level, the league – the Sailing Bundesliga and the international SAILING Champions League – offers top-level sailing almost all year round.

Wired logo with a pixelated design.

NRV sails to eighth Bundesliga championship
The race for the coveted championship trophy of the German sailing clubs was decided in convincing fashion: for the eighth time in the thirteen-year history of the Segel Bundesliga, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) team from Hamburg won. The Joersfeld Sailing Club (JSC) from Berlin became runner-up, achieving their best season result to date. The defending champion, the Mühlenberg Sailing Club (MSC), came in third.

With a strong performance and high tension right to the end during the three final days, the team of champions from the Outer Alster Lake showed they deserved the championship title. The young team presented themselves as a perfectly coordinated crew, able to adapt quickly to every new situation, and demonstrating real composure in the final, very calm races.

The Young NRV team shows all-around qualities.
The helmsman was the 22-year-old Mats Schönbeck, who had already won the German J/70 National Championship title with his crew last year and has been part of the club’s first-division squad since this year. For the Bundesliga final, his championship crew was comprised of Henrik Peters, Moritz Gießelmann, and Ferdinand Pfund.

“We had difficult conditions in Berlin, but we found our feet on the first day. The strong winds at the beginning suited us, but it got tricky after that,†said Mats Schönbeck, pointing out that the club had made a good start with veteran Tobias Schadewaldt at the helm. “We are very happy about the title and were a little nervous today because Joersfeld sailed to many first-place finishes.â€

NRV wins the championship and the final match day
The NRV team not only won the championship, but also the final match day in Berlin, followed by the Joersfeld SC and the host Berliner YC.

“Over the three days, we experienced the full spectrum of weather and utilized almost every Beaufort scale,†says Segel Bundesliga manager Anke Nowak. “On the first day, we had a storm with gusts exceeding 40 knots, forcing us to suspend the races after the J/70s threatened to capsize under jib only. Yesterday, the wind was lighter with frequent shifts, and today, unfortunately, the wind gradually decreased, forcing us to issue ‘AP over Alpha’ at 3:08 p.m., ending the championship after twelve flights.â€

Bocholter Yacht-Club champions of the 2nd league
The Bocholt Yacht Club (BOH-YC) won the championship title in the 2nd Sailing Bundesliga, with the Württemberg Yacht Club (WYC) taking second place. The Wuppertal Sailing Association (SVWU) finished third. These three clubs will now be promoted to the 1st Sailing Bundesliga, along with the fourth-placed Explorers and Seafarers Promotion Association (EnSFR) from Hamburg-St. Pauli.

“We are incredibly happy to have finally made it to the 1st Bundesliga,” said Thorsten Willemsen, helmsman of the Bocholt Yacht Club. “We’ve had six demanding years in the 2nd league, with lots of training and the right motivation.”

The Essen Gymnastics and Fencing Club (ETUF) won the final match day of the 2nd Sailing Bundesliga, ahead of EnSFR and the Hansa Münster Sailing Club.

The exciting final races were broadcast live on the Sailing Bundesliga’s YouTube channel. On the final day, Lorenz Buchler, experienced race director at the BYC, and MSC Bundesliga helmsman Till Krüger commented on the decisive races. Sophisticated camera technology and numerous drone shots allowed viewers and fans to follow the races live, cheer on their clubs, and keep their fingers crossed.

The final of the 2025 Sailing Bundesliga was jointly hosted by the Berlin Yacht Club and the Sailing Association of 1903 Berlin. After the awards, sailors gathered for the evening at the SV03 premises for a wonderful Halloween party.

“We have had a successful season, with the clubs showcasing top-level sailing,†emphasizes Sailing Bundesliga initiator Oliver Schwall. “We thank our partners, the organizing clubs, and the many volunteers for their support on and off the water. Together with them, we have built a highly professional sailing league over the past 13 years, which has now been adopted in more than 21 other sailing nations and continues to serve as a model. These include numerous countries in Central Europe, as well as in the Asia Pacific and the USA.â€

For more German J/70 Sailing League information
https://deutsche-segelbundesliga.de/events/6-2/