Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee e.V.
Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee e.V. (VSaW), founded in 1867, is Germany's second-oldest sailing club and is located directly on Lake Wannsee in Berlin. The heritage-protected club grounds feature a clubhouse built in 1910, a large marina with around 250 berths, land moorings, an in-house boatyard and a youth centre. By statute, the non-profit club primarily promotes racing sailing; each year around ten regatta events are held on Lake Wannsee, including International German Championships and a Sail Bundesliga event. Around 200 young WANNSEEATEN are trained in various boat classes; numerous members have won Olympic medals and international titles. Beyond racing, the club offers cruising, the SailNow! boat-sharing scheme with J/70s and dinghies, team events, gastronomy in the club restaurant and a varied social programme in the Seglerhaus.
History
On 6 October 1867, Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee was founded on the banks of the Havel with 14 members and 8 boats, making it Germany's second-oldest sailing club after Segelclub RHE in Königsberg. In 1877 the yachts anchored in the great bay of Lake Wannsee; in 1881 the club grounds were acquired and the first clubhouse was built, parts of which still stand today. In 1910 the new clubhouse opened in English country-house style; with its ballroom, bar, restaurant and terrace it remains the centre of club life and is a listed building. Long before the turn of the century, VSaW yachts won international and national races; at the 1936 Olympics the crew Bischoff/Weise on the club Star Wannsee won Germany's first Olympic sailing gold, followed by Willy Kuhweide's Finn-Dinghy gold in 1964. Together with Kieler Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and until 2018 Hamburger Segel-Club, VSaW has co-organised Kieler Woche for decades. On home waters around ten regatta events are held each year, including at least one International German Championship; a Sail Bundesliga event is also sailed each year in the bay in front of the club. The youth section WANNSEEATEN emerged in the 1910s, promotes racing sailing by statute and today comprises around 200 children and young people. In 2014 VSaW launched the SailNow! project with three J/70s, Laser Bahia dinghies and an ILCA dinghy for members. In 2017 the club celebrated its 150th anniversary with historic regattas, festivals and the presentation of a chronicle. Today VSaW has around 1,000 members; the sailing area extends from Spandau via the Lower Havel to Krampnitz, roughly 25 km without lowering the mast, amid the Prussian cultural landscape on Lake Wannsee.
Information
Youth section
Around 200 WANNSEEATEN learn to sail from scratch in racing sailing; training is provided by full-time and freelance coaches.
Parking
Yes, parking at Koblanckstraße
Boating license training
Available: 1
Board members
Additional officials
Regatta calendar
2026-07-17 Regatta: EDELHOLZ
2026-09-01 39th WENTZEL Cup I
2026-09-08 39th WENTZEL Cup II
2026-09-19 Regatta: Seglerhaus Prize
2026-10-17 Regatta: Club Championship
2026-11-07 Capital Sailing Cup
2026-11-08 Regatta: Opti Ice Cup