Hochseesegler-Vereinigung Kassel e.V.
Hochseesegler-Vereinigung Kassel e.V. is a non-profit sailing club based in Kassel that has promoted offshore sailing since 1982 and is a member of the German Sailing Association and the Hessen State Sports Federation. Although the club is inland in Kassel, its sailing grounds are mainly in the Mediterranean; cruises also go to the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries and Cape Verde, and occasionally across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The heart of the offer is the club-owned yacht Contessa IV, a Bavaria 46 Cruiser, which members can use as skippers with their own crew or as crew members. Regular club evenings, cruise planning, detailed logbook documentation and participation in cruising regattas such as the Hessenregatta shape club life. Since its founding, the club has built a long tradition of offshore sailing across several Contessa generations.
History
In 1982 Hochseesegler-Vereinigung Kassel e.V. was founded. It promotes sailing and primarily offshore sailing. The HVK is a registered non-profit association with memberships in the German Sailing Association and the Hessen State Sports Federation. From then on cruises were sailed on chartered yachts in the North and Baltic Seas and the Mediterranean. In 1987 the first yacht, a Contest 36, was purchased and named Contessa. Cruises went to the Baltic, Poland, Königsberg, the Swedish canals, Iceland, the English east coast and Holland. In 1993 a Gib Sea 126 was purchased and named Contessa II. Cruises went to Spain, Italy, Greece, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. In 1999 a Bavaria Holiday 46 was purchased and named Contessa III. Cruises went to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, the Canaries, Cape Verde, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal and France. In 2002 a motorboat on the Fulda was purchased for recreational boat licence training and examinations. In 2006 the fourth yacht, a Bavaria 46 Cruiser, was ordered and the Bavaria Holiday 46 traded in. In 2007 Karl-Heinz Weber handed over the chair after 20 years to Jürgen Hannemann. In March the new yacht was delivered on Mallorca and named Contessa IV. Cruises went to Spain, Italy, the Canaries, the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Azores and Portugal. In 2017 Jürgen Hannemann handed the first chair to Volker Jakob; Ludger Röken became second chair, and sports and training leadership passed from Gerhard Möller to Wolfgang Schwieder. In 2019 Volker Jakob was re-elected as first chair, Wolfgang Schwieder as sports and training officer; Heinz Gruchattka became the new second chair. In 2020 Volker Jakob and Heinz Gruchattka were re-elected; Eberhard Wünn became sports and training officer, Gerhard Möller took sports administration and winter storage. In 2022 Eberhard Wünn became first chair, Heinz Gruchattka remained second chair, and Wolfgang Schmidt became sports and training officer. Today the club has 227 members (as of 04/2026) and continues to sail Contessa IV mainly in the Mediterranean and on Atlantic routes.
Information
Boating license training
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