Segel icons in Schilksee: Popkowitzes celebrate 30 years Ærø round!

Segel icons in Schilksee: Popkowitzes celebrate 30 years Ærø round!

Schilksee, Deutschland - The upcoming highlight of the sailing season is celebrated in the port city of Schilksee. The regatta Ærø round, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is imminent. The couple Dietrich and Ingeborg Popkowitz, experienced sailors and passionate organizers, have been involved in the planning and implementation of this event for over 30 years. Her self -made sailing ship "Tjana" bears the name of her daughter Tatjana and has accompanied the two over the years to numerous adventures on the water. With a length of 11 meters, the boat is the result of five years of work.

The biggest change in the history of the regatta is the increase in the number of participants, which has originally increased from 40 to around 150 boats. The regatta débuten on a Friday evening at 9 p.m. and leads the participants in front of the Danish island of Ærø, where they are expected on Saturday morning. Dietrich Popkowitz emphasizes how much fun the organization is and that the conversations with other sailors on the island are always happy. The award ceremony traditionally takes place in Marstal, where the winners accept trophies.

The regatta Ærø round in detail

The Ærø around regatta is organized in cooperation with the Schilkseer Yacht Club, the Yacht Club Gode Wind and the Kiel sailing association and takes place at the weekend before the Kiel Week, which makes it a permanent institution in the sailing community. The event started in 1994 with the aim of offering both experienced and new sailors a platform.

The regatta consists of two races: a night regatta that begins in the Strander Bay and leads the participants around the northern tip of Ærø, and a back regatta that takes place from Marstal to Kiel on Sunday. These exciting competitions are particularly attractive because the nights during this period of the year in the northern region are only for a short time.

The Kiel Week 2025

In the context of the Ærø round, the Kiel Week will also take place in no time, which is the largest sailing sport in the world from June 21 to 29, 2025 and the largest summer festival in northern Europe. Every year, over 3 million guests flock to Kiel to take part in the celebrations that extend across the entire city. Over 70 nations take part in the competitions, which are accompanied by various types of boats such as laser dinghies and wind complaints.

The Kiel Week also promises a diverse program with over 4,000 sailors and around 1,500 boats and surfboards from around 50 nations in 2025. The highlights include Olympic classes and the Euro Cup 29er as well as musical performances by numerous artists. Another highlight is the traditional windjammer parade, which is always a big attraction for visitors.

With Ærø around regatta and Kiel Week, the Schleswig-Holstein region is an important hub of sailing. For the Popkowitz couple, the future is still full of plans, because even after their retreat from the regatta organization team, they would like to continue sailing with their grandchildren on the Baltic Sea.

according to KN-Online.de and the information from Segelclub Baltic are preparations in high tours, while the common history of passion and commitment in the sailing scene is continued.

The Kiel Week is also an excellent opportunity to experience the variety of maritime culture and to exchange ideas with like-minded people, promote through numerous events and a wide cultural supporting program, as described on Ostsee.de