Yacht-Club Ludwigshafen Bodensee e.V.
Yacht-Club Ludwigshafen Bodensee e.V. (YLB) is a sailing club on Lake Überlingen in Bodman-Ludwigshafen on Lake Constance. The club operates a robust pier harbour with three jetties, seaward breakwaters and about 111 berths, plus dinghy storage, parking and modern sanitary facilities at the harbour master's building. The self-governed youth section with about 40 juniors offers training in Optimist, 420, ILCA 6 and Europe as well as the junior sailing certificate and regattas such as the ApfelCup. Club regatta, pier festival, season opening and closing sails and the Wednesday midweek races at the lake end shape the club year. With presidents since 1964 and a pier extension in 1969, YLB has become an active anchor of the Lake Constance sailing scene.
History
The presidential history of Yacht-Club Ludwigshafen Bodensee e.V. goes back at least to 1964: Dr. Steude was president from 1964 to 1967, followed by Hans Honstetter (1967–1968) and Hans Letzelter, who led the club from 1968 to 1991 for more than two decades. In 1969 the pier was extended by ten metres; membership fees then were DM 90 for active members, DM 50 for supporting members and DM 40 for juniors. The club had 90 active and six supporting members at that time. Founding members and long-serving board members such as Reinhard Rietschel and Karl Wohlgenannt were later made honorary members. After Letzelter came Kurt Geiger (1991–1997), Willi Zöller (1997–2008), Jürgen Bühler (2008–2016) and Ralf Thimm (2016–2018); Andreas Rietschel has been president since 2018. The youth section has existed for over 30 years as a self-governed department and achieved international success with sailors such as Tim and Marc Fischer in Optimist and 420. More recently the club modernised the harbour with a new harbour master's building and sanitary rooms, suffered arson in 2019 with later reconstruction of the swimming pier, co-organises the ApfelCup and holds the Blue Anchor environmental award.
Information
Facilities
Steel-pile pier harbour with three jetties and seaward breakwaters, about 3,400 sq m, 111 berths, trailer ramp, rigging mast (100 kg), dinghy storage, parking, harbour master's building on the west pier and washrooms with showers, toilets and holding-tank disposal.
Activities
Youth training and junior sailing certificate, summer and Whitsun training, club regatta and pier festival, ApfelCup as a major junior regatta, season opening and closing sails, Wednesday midweek races at the lake end, taster sailing, work parties and club events such as sailors' socials and St Nicholas gatherings.
Youth section
Self-governed youth section for over 30 years with about 40 members (ages 7–18), Optimist, 420, ILCA 6 and Europe boats, junior sailing certificate, summer and Whitsun training and regatta sailing in Segeljugend Seeende.
Parking
Yes, parking ashore
Guest berths
Yes, ask the harbour master