Schweriner Yacht-Club e.V.
Schweriner Yacht-Club e.V. is a performance-oriented sailing club on Franzosenweg at Lake Schwerin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. As a flagship watersports club in the region it offers a jetty, clubhouse with club room, boat sheds and an on-site office. The focus is on youth development, regatta organisation and top-level sport: juniors train in Optimist, 420 and ILCA among other classes, while adults and elite sailors compete in classes such as 470, Finn Dinghy and OK Dinghy. The club hosts traditional events including the Sparkassen-Cup, Blaues Band and Herbstpokal and fielded a league team in the German sailing Bundesliga. Emerging from the 1956 sailing section of SC Traktor Schwerin, the club celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2026 and ranks among Germany's top sailing clubs.
History
In 1956 the sailing section of SC Traktor Schwerin was founded; in the same year Schwerin sailors won the first GDR championship titles in H-Boot and Pirate junior and senior classes. In 1961 the spring regatta on Lake Schwerin was held for the first time and later gained an international character that continues today. In 1971 the sailing centre on Franzosenweg was inaugurated, today home of Schweriner Yacht-Club. In 1982 Jürgen Brietzke and Ekkehard Schulz won the first international medal for Schwerin sailing at the 470 European Championships; in 1983 Jörg Rettig and Thomas Heldt took gold at the 470 Junior World Championships. In 1988 Schwerin crews qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time: Lehmann/Mädicke (Flying Dutchman) finished ninth in Seoul, Brietzke/Schulz (470) eleventh. In 1990 Ines Bohn and Sabine Rohatzsch became IYRU world champions in the 470 class. In 1991 the sailing department of Schweriner Sportclub was dissolved and Schweriner Yacht-Club was founded with 80 members. In 1993 Bohn/Rohatzsch defended their 470 world title; the SYC hosted European Championships for the first time with 91 Pirate boats. In 1996 Rensch/Haverland qualified for the Olympics in the 470 (12th in Savannah), Lehmann/Mädicke became FD world champions, membership grew to 250 and construction of the new jetty began. In 1997 the city granted usage rights for the Franzosenweg facility; Jürgen Knuth became Tempest world champion and defended the title in 1998. From 2000 to 2003 the clubhouse was modernised. In 2001 the club received the Dresdner Bank Green Ribbon for talent development. In 2003 Günter Semat handed over the presidency after 14 years; Bieberitz and Budzien won gold and silver at the Finn Masters Worlds. In 2004 Monika Leu competed at the Athens Olympics in the 470 (15th). In 2006 the club celebrated its 50th anniversary. From 2007 to 2009 André Budzien dominated the Finn Masters Worlds; Malte Winkel won German Optimist youth titles; boat sheds were extended in 2008; Torsten Haverland became DSV vice president for performance sport in 2009. Further successes followed in 2010–2011 and 2018. In 2026 the club marked its 70th anniversary while renovating jetty and boat sheds.
Information
Facilities
Sailing centre on Franzosenweg with jetty, clubhouse and club room, boat sheds with sliding roof, and an on-site office; racing area Lake Schwerin.
Activities
Youth and performance sport, regatta organisation (Sparkassen-Cup, Blaues Band, Herbstpokal), junior training, recreational sailing, league sailing and club life on Lake Schwerin.
Youth section
Active youth section within Trainingsgemeinschaft Segeln Schwerin (SSV, SCS, SVTh, SSH, SYC): Optimist training, 420 at the SYC site, ILCA groups plus recreational dinghy sailing; focus on racing and performance pathways.