Bocholter Yachtclub e.V.
Bocholter Yachtclub e.V. is a long-established sailing club based in Bocholt, with home waters on Lake Aasee and easy access to Dutch sailing areas on the IJsselmeer and Wadden Sea. Members use the clubhouse, the shared IG-Aasee jetty, boat halls at Brinkstegge and a large club fleet including Optimists, Teenys, 420s, Flying Juniors, 470s, Laser, Pirates, BM dinghies and Polyvalks. The programme covers recreational and cruising sailing, youth development and high-performance racing on J/70 and L30 in the German Sailing Bundesliga; adults can train for inland and coastal pleasure craft licences. For more than fifty years, club yacht cruises, Optimist training and regatta success up to world and European titles as well as promotion to the 1st Sailing Bundesliga in 2025 have shaped club life.
History
Bocholter Yachtclub was founded around 1970; seventeen years later, on 23 November 1987, the clubhouse on Lake Aasee was inaugurated under chairman Heinbernd Oppenberg. Lake Aasee itself was created by dredging from the 1970s and completed in 1983; with about 32 hectares of water it has since been the central home venue. In the early years members gained experience on vessels such as “de Baas” on the North Sea, the Frisian Islands and as far as Norway and the Faroe Islands. In 1988/1989 the club decided to buy its first club yacht “Bokelt”, a Dehler 34 christened in Lemmer in 1989; in 1993 Bokelt II, a Jeanneau Sun Fast 36, followed. With the club yacht the crews achieved overall victory in the Rally Round Britain 1997 and successes at Glockenregatta, OFD Sail Cup and CAM Race. Dinghy sailing produced many city championship titles and international results, including the 1999 Flying Junior world title for Peter and Susanne Wanders. From 2015 the club built a Bundesliga training group, acquired the club-owned J/70 “Jayday” in 2017 and entered the 2nd Sailing Bundesliga in 2019. In 2020 the team reached the Sailing Champions League final in Porto Cervo; in 2022 and 2024 the juniors won the German Junior Sailing League. In November 2025 BOH-YC became champions of the 2nd league and were promoted for the first time to the 1st German Sailing Bundesliga; since 2024 the L30 “Cloud Horizon” has also been available for racing.
Information
Facilities
Clubhouse on Lake Aasee with club room and youth room, shared IG-Aasee jetty, boat halls and training centre at Brinkstegge in Mussum, boat park and extensive club fleet.
Activities
Recreational and cruising sailing, regatta training, German Sailing Bundesliga on J/70, L30 racing, Optimist and youth regattas, season opening and closing sails on the IJsselmeer, club yacht cruises, pleasure craft licence training, regulars' table and club life.
Youth section
Active youth section with Optimist training, weekly Friday sessions on Lake Aasee, youth sailing certificate and success in the German Junior Sailing League (champions 2022 and 2024).
Boating license training
Available: 1
Klaus Lienenklaus
Theory courses over several weeks, practical training in spring or by arrangement