Hamburger Segel-Club Wins J/70 Women’s SAILING Champions League in Kiel

(Kiel, Germany)- Last weekend, the Women’s SAILING Champions League (WSCL) took place in Kiel, hosted at Hotel Kieler Yacht Club. The world’s premier all-women’s sailing clubs gathered on the Kiel Fjord to battle for the ultimate international league title in fast-paced J/70 one-design sailboats.

Kiel’s role as host was a natural fit: operating under the Kiel.Sailing.City brand, the port city recently reclaimed its place among Germany’s top ten strongest city brands, reinforcing its standing as a premier destination for international elite sports. The tight race course, combined with commercial ship traffic and massive cruise liners, creates wind shadows and unpredictable shifts. At the same time, the close-to-shore layout offers prime spectating along the Kiel promenade.

Eighteen teams representing nine nations took to the starting line, with entries from Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Poland, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Australia. The fleet was comprised of ambitious crews that qualified for their spots through their respective National Sailing Leagues; over 90 women’s teams competed for that honor worldwide! Returning contenders included last year’s champions from Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (GER), alongside former winners Hellerup Sejlklub (DEN in 2018) and Hamburger Segel-Club (GER in 2023).

This year’s edition featured two overseas entries, marking significant milestones for the league. The US American Sailing League, established in 2024, sent its first-ever all-women crew to a WSCL event after the team secured its berth at the West Coast Championship in San Francisco this past May in J/22 one-design class sailboats. Similarly, the Australian squad qualified through the Asia-Pacific League.

Racing took place in the inner Kiel Fjord, a venue demanding maximum precision from every sailor. Flawless boat handling, razor-sharp tactical instincts, and the ability to make split-second decisions under pressure were the hallmarks of the top teams occupying the leaderboard. Here’s how it all went down for the 2026 edition.

After sailing a dozen races over the three-day regatta, it was past champions Hamburger Segel-Club that repeated their past performance, crowned as the 2026 J/70 Women’s SAILING Champions! As one of Germany’s top women skippers, Silke Basedow led her crew of Maren Hahlbrock, Lea Belle, Mia Hahn, and Anna Rupp to the top of the podium after a nail-biting finale in their final race. Basedow’s HSC team won by one point over Norway’s tough, experienced team from the Kongelig Norse Seilforening (KNS)- the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club. The Norwegian team put on a formidable display of smart, fast sailing. Led by skipper Tiril Hartvedt Bue, her crew of Marie Lothe, Marthe Bob Ludvigsen, and Ragna Agerup kept up the pressure on the Hamburger Segel-Club team, winning seven races, but not enough to overcome their one-point deficit. Münchner Yacht Club, led by Isabella Knaus and her team of Valerie Knaus, Clara Borlinghaus, and Karo Deichl, took the bronze medal with 29 pts total.

Rounding out the top five were two more German teams. Frederike Westphalen’s Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee team (Catharina Schaaff, Carolin Schaaff, and Anna Kromke) took fourth with 30 pts, narrowly missing the podium by a point. Then, Siri Segger’s Norddeutscher Regatta Verein team (Philippa Germershausen, Gloria Clausen, and Jola Schonebeck) finished fifth with 32 pts.

Special mention must be made of the two “newbies” to the regatta that both finished in the top eleven- Richmond Yacht Club’s American team skippered by Julia Paxton-Liebernberg in seventh and Lymington Town Sailing Club’s British crew helmed by Chloe George in 11th after getting the short end of a three-way tie for 9th place!

Beyond the intensity on the water, the event was defined by its unique camaraderie. Anke Nowak, Managing Director of SAILING Champions League GmbH, captured the spirit of the regatta: “Of course, everyone wants to cross the finish line first. Out on the water, no team gives an inch, and these athletes push themselves to the absolute limit. But the atmosphere dockside afterward is truly unique. That strong sense of togetherness and the good times they share across borders– that is the real reward of the Women’s SAILING Champions League!”

Sailing photo credits: SAILING Energy
https://konzeptwerft.smugmug.com/SAILINGChampionsLeague/2026/WSCL-HKYC-07-09-August/PRESS-c-SAILING-ENERGY

For more J/70 Women’s SAILING Champions League information
https://sailing-championsleague.com/events/wscl2026/