85. Warnemünder Woche: “Finally getting started again!”

In a video greeting, the patron explained Warnemünder Woche, Stefanie Drese, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister for Social Affairs, Health and Sport, at the beginning of the press conference: “The Warnemünder Woche is the most important and largest sailing event in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and combines sport and culture, as well as land and water, in a very special way. My heartfelt thanks go out to the many volunteers who organize a really great event!”

Also Rostock's mayor Eva-Maria Kröger thanked the volunteers: “What always impresses me in Warnemünde is the high level of volunteer commitment, again at this event. A big thank you for that!” Kröger announced that he wanted to engage more in dialogue in order to be able to support volunteer work even better in the future. Specifically, she cited concerns about young talent in the clubs, increasing legal requirements and rising costs as difficulties facing volunteer work. Rostock's mayor was particularly fascinated by the diversity of the event: “The Warnemünder Woche combines tradition and modernity as well as regionality and cosmopolitanism.” In addition to the high sporting and cultural value of the event, Kröger also emphasized the importance for tourism and the local economy: “From the Warnemünder Woche The whole place benefits!”

Rostock and Warnemünde's tourism director agreed with this Matthias Frommfully agreed and added: “At no other time is our Baltic Sea resort so international. Sailors from all over the world come here and hopefully return home satisfied and as ambassadors for our destination. Events like this are important for tourism Warnemünder Woche “Very important.” The accommodations are already very well booked in the summer, but holidaymakers rightly expect that something will be offered to them during their stay. Also offer the Warnemünder Woche With its many highlights, it also provides incentives for many day guests to visit. Fromm reported that the founding of the office Warnemünder Woche proven in 2019. The last few years have been difficult because of the pandemic situation, but “in 2023 we finally want to get started again!” says Matthias Fromm. The aim is not to break participant and visitor records, but rather to further develop the quality of the event little by little. This year, Fromm is particularly looking forward to the 20th anniversary of the “Niege Ümgang” pageant on the opening Saturday, July 1st, which is organized by the Warnemünde Association.

Ingeborg Regenthal, the office manager and first deputy chairwoman of the Warnemünde Association, announced that the Niege Ümgang (July 1st) would return to its old size with around 2.500 participants. However, Regenthal did not want to reveal the exact details of the anniversary parade when asked. She called on people to “stop by and be surprised.” Regarding the summer festival program, Ingeborg Regenthal said: “After a few difficult years, we are finally firing on all cylinders again this year.” That’s almost how it will be in the Kurhausgarten program every day until 22 p.m. In addition to classics such as the rock open-air “Smoke on the Water” (July 6th) and the Shanty Day (July 8th), there will be, for example, a hit day (July 3rd) and Ladies Day (July 5th). also give a lot of new things. “We want more female artists to perform overall and also have something to offer the younger audience,” says Regenthal. 

The sports director gave an outlook on the sailing program Peter Ramcke: “In addition to evergreen highlights such as the ILCA Europa Cup, the long-distance regatta around Bornholm and the offshore middle distance to Kühlungsborn, I am particularly looking forward to the Solinge with their European Championship and the Starboote with their Big 3 event, the Star Eastern Hemisphere Championship, which in terms of value corresponds to, for example, a European Championship. In addition to these regattas, we are also looking forward, among other things, to welcoming the 29ers to the best area.” The construction work on the new sports school on the middle pier, which has not yet been completed, has had an influence on class planning, said Ramcke. “We are still somewhat limited in terms of space here. We therefore wanted to concentrate on the top events this year: the Solinge on the Hohe Düne and the ILCAs and starlings on the Mittelmole.”

One who is sailing as a participant in the Star Eastern Hemisphere Championship is Uwe Thielemann. The star has a special fascination in the sailing world, which is also due to the long history of the class. “The Starboat has been the oldest standard keelboat class in the world since 1911,” said Uwe Thielemann. The star was an Olympian from 1932 to 1972 and from 1980 to 2012. The Two-Man Class is a global community of approximately 2.200 sailors from 38 nations, organized across fleets, districts, nations and continents. “The Starboat pits Olympic and world champions against sailors of all ages and abilities eager to compete at the highest level. In Warnemünde we want to present the Starboat as an attractive successor class to young sailors and talk to them,” says Uwe Thielemann. A special feature of the Stare is that the winner of a continental championship, such as the Eastern Hemisphere Championship, is entitled to wear a silver star in his sail for life, instead of the actual red class symbol. Winners of a world championship or, in the past, the Olympic Games can be recognized by their gold star in their sail.

Also the woman from Rostock Hannah Andersson was a guest at the press conference. She is one of the best ILCA 6 sailors in Germany and has already won international titles. She aims to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games and is currently preparing for the World Championships in The Hague at the beginning of August. “The regatta will be the first important step towards the Olympic Games with the national qualification,” said Anderssohn. "The Warnemünder Woche is the perfect opportunity to get some race practice beforehand and work on a few final details.” Anderssohn’s goal is to achieve a podium finish at the ILCA Europa Cup. But one thing is already certain for the 23-year-old in the run-up to the event: “For me, Warnemünde is and remains the most beautiful sailing area in the world! I probably can't remain completely neutral, after all, I grew up here and don't know any other area as well as the bay in front of Warnemünde."

Also on the water, but powered by paddling instead of sailing, the dragon boats on the southern Alte Strom will fight for the best places at the 8th Dragon Boat Festival on July 9th and 25th. “We expect around 1.500 people to be active over both days,” said Stefan Eichelmann, chairman of the organizing SV Breitling. At the anniversary edition, “as always, fun and wild racing on the water” can be expected. There will also be a colorful program on land with lots of good-humoured people at the Alter Strom. 

The chairman of the North District Handball Association expects around 35 teams with around 400 participants, Rainer Voss, for the 27th Beach Handball Days. The beach sports event takes place on the first weekend of Warnemünder Woche (July 1st and 2nd) in the SportBeachArena on Warnemünde Beach. “The stand will then become a beach handball cauldron,” Voß is certain. New is a beach party on Saturday evening for athletes and guests. The finals are scheduled for Sunday at around 15 p.m. “I am happy about the many spectators who are cheering our teams on,” said Voß.

On the second weekend of Warnemünder Woche The beach lacrosse (July 8th and 9th) and beach rugby players (July 9th) will take over the SportBeachArena. Johanna Vick has been playing the New Zealand national sport of rugby since a year abroad during her school years. “The great thing about it is that it is a hard but also very fair sport in which everyone treats each other with respect. In the sand, with the Baltic Sea in the background, the whole thing is just more fun,” she explained the fascination of rugby. Last year the beach rugby tournament took place for the second time as part of the Warnemünder Woche took place. “The response to it was great! This success story should now be continued,” said Vick.