Segelclub Mattsee Wins Austrian J/70 Sailing League Opener in Velden

(Velden, Austria)- The Austrian Sailing League is picking up speed again in June. As planned, Velden am Wörthersee served as the venue for the first stop of the 1st League, with Yacht Club Velden acting as the host. A total of eighteen top clubs competed in the Premier Division to gather their first championship points. Racing follows the established league format, consisting of short races held close to the shore, ensuring the action is clearly visible to spectators on land.

Key aspects of the regatta series remain unchanged. All teams use identical, provided J/70 class boats, ensuring a level playing field on the water. Following the opener at Lake Wörthersee, the second stop of the season takes the teams to Lake Attersee, just as in previous years. There is a change later in the schedule, however: the third stop will take place at Lake Traunsee for the first time. The season finale will be held at Lake Mondsee in late September, where the overall winner will be decided.

Burgenländischer Yachtclub (BYC) entered the competition as the defending champion, relying on squad continuity. BYC helmsman Stefan Glanz-Michaelis commented on the situation prior to the event: “We’re going all out again. The team lineup is the same as last year— a proven formula. It was a very tight contest last season, and it certainly won’t be any different this year.”

In the end, it was Segelclub Mattsee that won the opening regatta in a very tight battle for the top of the podium with Segelclub TWV Achensee and Burgenlandischer Yachtclub. The three clubs posted primarily podium finishes in the 14-race series. The Segelclub Mattsee team won with 29 pts, while Segelclub TWV Achensee finished with 30 pts!! And, just one point back with 31 pts was Burgenlandischer Yachtclub!!

The craziest outcome was with Union Yachtclub Wolfgangsee, taking redress in Race 12 for average points, finishing the regatta in fourth place with 31.23 pts… just 0.23 pts off the podium!!

One of the new sailing club teams shared their POV on what it was like to compete in the premier 1st league at their inaugural regatta. It’s an interesting perspective.

“We arrived on Thursday with mixed expectations, aiming to be acclimatized and ready to go by the following day. Our 9:30 AM practice session offered little insight, as 30 minutes in dead calm conditions yield few useful takeaways.

The welcome reception, however, was far more revealing; it was our first chance to see all our competitors in person. We were impressed by star teams such as SCM (Mattsee), BYC (Rust), SCTWV (Achensee), and UYCWg (Wolfgangsee)— teams that have dominated the scene for years and achieved success in the European Champions League. Other teams also stood out for their top-tier crews, some of which included Olympic athletes.

Nevertheless, we— along with the other newly promoted team (SCT and Yachtclub Velden Inklusion)— were warmly welcomed into the First League family. We were up in the very first race of the opening flight, eager to prove that our promotion was well-deserved. We headed into that first race with a healthy dose of confidence; thanks to our sponsors, Salt and Boote Stummer, we had already completed an intensive training day with coach Christian Kargl, learning a great deal and brushing up on our routines.

After a confident start—characterized by good speed and solid tactics—we secured a victory in that very first race, surprising both ourselves and everyone else. Following that up with a third-place finish in the second flight, we were suddenly no longer unknowns! At the starting line, we were recognized—and treated—as formidable competitors.

However, being taken seriously came with challenges, as we were now confronted with the field’s true depth and quality. All teams were really hitting their stride; even the slightest errors— poor timing at the start, a bad approach to the windward mark, imprecise angles on the downwind leg— were punished immediately and ruthlessly. At least we managed to get through the first day without incurring a penalty.

After six flights and finishes of 1-3-6-5-2-6, our key takeaways were:
– Every tiny mistake gets punished
– Truly, every single point counts
– “In principle,” we can beat any team

After the sailors’ dinner, we headed back to our accommodation, exhausted. An extensive evening social program isn’t really the norm—or even possible—in the First League.

Day two began at 10:00 AM, though weather and wind conditions made it difficult to complete many additional flights. We only made it onto the water and to the starting line three times in total. We had to accept our finishes of 6-2-4; in such changeable conditions, triumph and disaster were never far apart.

The third and final day of racing also started at 10:00 AM. Once again, we had to dig deep and go on the offensive. However, this proved challenging. For one thing, the wind was slow to pick up in the morning; for another, all our opponents seemed to have a very similar strategy. It wasn’t until around midday that an easterly wind finally kicked in. Battling for every single point in the initially light breeze, we finally managed to fight our way forward from some tricky situations. During the short breaks, we exchanged views with the top teams and gratefully soaked up every tip they offered.

Things got really exciting when the wind suddenly picked up. You could see the anticipation on Max’s face, while helmsman Philip looked a bit more pensive—our experience in stronger winds is still somewhat limited.”

For more Austrian J/70 Sailing League information
https://www.segelbundesliga.at/termine