Conclusion interview with sports director Peter Ramcke
Peter Ramcke from Kiel has been the sports director for six years Warnemünder Woche. And after the 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic, it was the 83rd. Warnemünder Woche This year is a very special one - a major sailing event and cultural festival under Corona restrictions. And at the same time it was a sailing festival after 15 long, abstinent months. “The active hearts are warming that they can finally sail in this wonderful area again,” said Rostock’s mayor Claus Ruhe Madsen.
Despite the reduction in the number of classes, around 900 participants from 20 nations took part in 500 boats over a total of ten days. When asked whether he was satisfied with how the Warnemünde Week went, Peter Ramcke answered with a clear “yes”. Here is the detailed interview that the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Segler-Zeitung, Hermann Hell, conducted with Peter Ramcke.
What's the 83rd? Warnemünder Woche ran? Are you content?
Peter Ramcke: We had fantastic registration numbers, and despite the difficult conditions with the Corona requirements and the renovation of the middle pier, we have an excellent one Warnemünder Woche delivered. The active participants came ashore beaming and thanked us. And this week was enhanced with a few awards. The European Championships for the Contender and First/Seascape 18, the international German championships for the Double Handed Long Distance Offshore, the 505 and the Pirates as well as the almost traditional Laser Europa Cup and the German Open for the J/70 were sporting highlights.
And we noticed this year that it's also well received when you concentrate on classes and don't put pressure on quantity. This year, given the general conditions, we had just as many classes as we were able to supervise individually.
The Warnemünder Woche is one of several big sailing weeks. What does the Warnemünder Woche so special?
Every regatta week has its charms. And we don't want to compare much either. But we have the most beautiful area.
The 270 nautical mile long “Rund Bornholm” regatta is definitely a special event. The big yachts up to the Dehler 30od seem to have recognized the importance?
This year we had a visit from Eckart Reinke. Ecki is undisputedly the German luminary in the sea sailing sector. And he said to me: “You can’t change this regatta at all. It's just right.” We offer a true offshore route, the start can be followed from land and is therefore suitable for spectators. And you can sail left and right around Bornholm, so you can use the entire Baltic Sea tactically. It is the Fastnet Race of the Baltic Sea.
The new Hohe Düne offshore concept also fits the theme of sea sailing.
Yes, the big ship and keelboat sailors felt very comfortable there. In addition to the offshore yachts, we also had the H-boats, which will hold their world championship here in 2022, and the J/70 with their German Open in the Hohe Düne.
Of course it needs it Warnemünder Woche the support from business and politics, but also from sailing itself. That also seems to be growing. Mona Küppers, President of the German Sailing Association, was there and praised the very special flair of Warnemünde at the mayor's reception.
Yes, we are very happy about that too. Mona Küppers was there for the second time Warnemünder Woche and raved. Warnemünde has an incredibly great location for a sailing event. The location is brilliant. Kiters and surfers can start from the beach, the dinghies from the central pier and even the big ships are only a fender's throw away, she said at the reception. That's a recognition for them Warnemünder Woche.
The 83. Warnemünder Woche will be history from Monday. What else is coming up this year?
We have been awarded the Para World Sailing Championships by the World Sailing Association in September. And we are pleased that we can also offer the 2.4mR class an open classification, the 2.4mR Gold Cup. What distinguishes the class and sailing as a whole is that people with and without disabilities, women and men, young and old, can all compete against each other without compensation. Other sports can hardly offer that. Unfortunately, it was precisely this perfect inclusion that was a co-criterion for the Paralympic Games, where damage classes are divided. Sailing doesn’t need that. We are really looking forward to the 2.4mR, which will sail with us from September 25th to 29th. And our DSV President Mona Küppers has taken over the patronage.
Let's take a look into the future. What's in the sailing program for the next few years? Warnemünder Woche?
We try to work with the class associations to place some highlights and championships in the Warnemünder Woche to integrate. The special awards in a wide variety of disciplines are evaluated Warnemünder Woche and in return the classes feel comfortable here, enjoy the ideal area and the perfect integration into a major event. So it's a win-win situation. So next year the archipelago cruisers and the H-boats will be during the Warnemünder Woche host their World Cup. We firmly assume that the Laser class association, the ILCA, will almost traditionally sail its European Cup for young talent here, and we have been awarded the Masters European Championship in 2022. We also have a few classes for the following years approached. The 470cc European Championship and the Master Cup are planned for 2023. And as already explained, our main concern is the individual consultation with the classes and their support. This is more important to us than quantitative superlatives.
You can see the huge construction site on the middle pier. When will the new infrastructure with the modern systems be available to you there?
According to the plan, everything should be finished in 2023, but probably not complete until September. We hope that we will be able to use individual areas by the time it is completed. But when the time comes and the middle pier is finished, Warnemünde will not only offer the most beautiful area, but also the most modern infrastructure in Germany, perhaps even in the whole of Europe.
The builder of the Mittelmole marina is the Hanseatic city of Rostock, and the operator is the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Sports Association. To fully describe what is on offer, there is also the Warnemünde sports school, which is run by the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Sports Association. There is also a huge offer for those who are active.
Yes, a large training and further education center is being created for all associations and their clubs on around 4600 square meters. There is also the sports school with accommodation, seminar rooms, sauna, administration, roof terrace and much more. The federal base of the German Sailing Association is also located here.
Mr. Ramcke, we wish you much success in the upcoming regattas and look forward to them with you Warnemünder Woche 2022 as well as the new opportunities and the new infrastructure in 2023/2024.
