Blankeneser Segel Club

The Blankeneser Segel Club (BSC) is the oldest sailing club in Germany with direct access to the river Elbe, one of the three major rivers in Central Europe. Given its location and storied maritime history, the sailing club has continued to draw the world’s premiere yachtsmen and women and is known for organizing many regattas each year.

Founded in 1898 in the former fishing village of Blankeneser, the Club’s first regatta, “Around the Sands”, was hosted on the Elbe. Derived from the Ventian word “regata” meaning “contest”, a regatta is a series of boat races often involving watercraft that is rowed or sailed.

During the early 20th century, the Club continued to grow, soon adding a youth department in 1913. But it was not all boats and games for the club as 125 members would go off to war when WW1 struck, and again nearly 200 members served in WW2.

In the years that followed, the Club’s members continued to achieve remarkable accomplishments. From 1964 to 1967, Elga and Ernst-Jürgen Koch sailed the world on the “Kairos”. BSC members also competed in the 1968 Olympic regatta, the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and numerous championships across the world.

With more than 850 members, the Club competes in five different sailing classes including Opti, Pirate, Laser, RS Feva and Jugendwanderkutter. Today, the club hosts the Hamburg Senate Prize of the Elbe and the Störtebeker Opti Cup off Helgoland, as well as numerous local and international championships.