Basedow crowned Women's J/70 HELGA Cup Champion at Hamburger Segel-Club
by J/Boats 18 Jun 2023 20:48 AEST
8-11 June 2023
The Hamburg Segelclub yet again welcomed women sailors from all over the world for the 6th edition J/70 HELGA CUP, sailing on the gorgeous and picturesque Alster Lake in the middle of Hamburg, Germany.
For the 2023 edition, fifty-eight from eleven nations (Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, France, Estonia, Monaco) looked forward to sailing on matched J/70 one-design class sailboats over a three-day weekend.
In the end, Silke Basedow was declared winner of the 2023 Helga Cup, the largest women's regatta in the world, for the fourth time in a row with her team. Her team included Juliane Zepp, Maren Hohlbrock, and Marion Rommel, all members of Hamburger Segel-Club. The likable Hamburg native prevailed after a total of 81 races and received the winner's trophy on Sunday afternoon from the hands of Kristina Vogel and Hamburg State Councilor Christoph Holstein.
Skipper Silke Basedow was overjoyed after winning the Helga Cup again, commenting "We are very happy that we have won again, now for the fourth time! And, at the same time, it was very close and I think that Team "Goldelsen" (2nd place) would have deserved it as well. We had a very exciting race. And, from that point of view, we are totally happy that it worked out. For us as a team, it was a good conclusion. Next year, I would like to support more on land and then I will no longer sail as a helmswoman. It was a great event, once again a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to participating in the Helga Cup again in my new role!"
Basedow has been appointed to the new "Helga Cup Board" and will take care of the further development and strategic orientation of the Helga Cup. She will be working together with Nadine Löschke (43, Hamburg), Claudia Langenhan (48, Hamburg), Julia Kühn (25, Hamburg), and Dr. Anja Kamradt (58, Berlin).
The team "Goldelsen" with skipper Carla Gerlach from Berliner Yacht Club finished in second place and third place went to the women from the VSaW (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) with skipper Frederike Westphalen at the helm.
The sixth edition of the Helga Cup was once again a complete success. 58 crews from eleven nations delivered exciting races on Alster Lake in optimal sailing conditions for three days.
"We had Caribbean sailing conditions, sun, and wind, it doesn't get any better than that," commented NRV club manager Klaus Lahme. "I would like to sincerely thank all the volunteer helpers, our race stewards Tina Buch and Jens Hahlbrock with their teams, and the Umpire Chief Manuel Hünsch and his team. Everyone did a fantastic job!"
During the official opening on Saturday evening, Senator of the Interior Andy Grote once again emphasized the special importance of the world's largest women's regatta for the City of Hamburg and the Active City movement.
Organizer Sven Jürgensen was also satisfied after three exhausting days of racing, "I am super happy and I am glad that we will continue to develop the Helga Cup in the future with a women's team in the leadership. Six years of the Helga Cup have been a wonderful time and I am looking forward to supporting the team as an organizer for the Helga Cup 2024. We took another big step in 2023 by welcoming new women's crews to their first regatta!"
The seventh edition of the Helga Cup will take place next year from June 6 to 9, 2024 on the Alster Lake, hosted yet again by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein.
More information at www.helgacup.de