SY Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg / Andrews 56

Owner

Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt e.V. (HVS)

The Club “Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt e.V.” (HVS) has been founded in 1903 by merchants from Hamburg with a great goal that leads the club up to the present day: Maintaining of seagoing vessels and the physical and temperamentally training of young people and their education for becoming skilled mariners.

So young people who are keen on sailing and are at least 16 years old experience the knowledge and requirements of offshore sailing and improve their skills on the boats of the HVS. Next to sailing skills they get to know what team spirit, sense of responsibility, friendship and reaching a common goal is all about.

Next to passages and education trips the boats of the HVS participate in regattas all over the world regularly: Already in 1905 the HVS participated with its Yacht “Hamburg” in a Transatlantic Race successfully and finished second behind the legendary American yacht “Atlantic”. The boats of the HVS regularly show up at regattas on Northern and Baltic Sea as well as at international prestigious races like Transatlantic Races, Fastnet Race, Round Britain and Ireland Race, Cowes Week etc. In 2007 during the HSH Nordbank blue race it has been the 50th passage of a boat owned by the HVS.

Skipper

Eike Holst (26), born in Hamburg and studying in Karlsruhe, Germany, started sailing with the HVS aged 17 and participated in his first transatlantic race 2003 on board of the predecessor of the actual Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg. He started sailing as a 7-year-old boy in the Optimist Class and continued racing 420 and Laser Radial before joining the HVS in 2002. Since 2007 he is one of the skippers of the HVS and regularly participates in tours and races from inshore to offshore as skipper, watch officer or crewmember.

Navigator

Max Wilckens (23), born in Glückstadt and studying in Karlsruhe, Germany, started sailing Optimist Class aged 8 and continued in several youth classes like Pirate and Teeny. Since 2004 he is skipper for youth boats of his local sailing club and discovered River Elbe, Northern and Baltic Sea. He started sailing in the HVS in 2005 and 2009 he became skipper of the HVS.

Watch Officers

Johan Schultz (25), born in Hamburg and studying “Nautics” in Flensburg, Germany, started dinghy sailing and racing in 1998. Before starting his studies he worked as sailmaker for 3 years. He is sailing on board of the yachts of the HVS since 2001 and will apply this year for becoming skipper of the HVS.

Jan Boldt (24), born in Münster and studying “naval architecture” in Hamburg, Germany started dinghy sailing and racing in 1999 in Optimist and Pirate Class. He started sailing in the HVS in 2006 and since 2009 he’s inspector of the Andrews 56 “Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg”. Jan will apply this year for becoming skipper of the HVS.

Crew

The crews on the boats of the HVS are no professional sailors and always change. This year’s Transatlantic crew contains of young and motivated but also experienced members of the HVS, especially regarding their age. All crewmembers gained offshore sailing experience during several long and short distance races and passages in the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea or Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

The preparation for the race started at the end of 2010 with crew meetings and maintenance of the yacht. During this year 80% of the crew participated in an ISAF-certified “Survival at Sea”-Training and two crewmembers are qualified EMTs. Final preparation will take place in Newport within the weeks before the start of the race.

Background of the Boat:

1999 the SY Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg has been built in California by Dencho Marine for local races (e.g. Transpac) and is owned by the HVS since 2005.

Next to several other races in Northern and Baltic Sea the yacht participated in transatlantic HSH Nordbank blue race 2007 and since 2006 she participates in a RORC-Race every year (Round Britain and Ireland Race 2006 and 2010, Fastnet Race 2007 and 2009, Cowes-Madeira-Race 2008)

The “Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg” will be shipped to Newport leaving Europe between May 15 and May 30.

Additional Information on the entry

Average age of the crew at the start of the race: 22.5 years
Total number of the crew’s atlantic crossings: 4
In total the crewmembers sailed approx. 90.000 nautical miles up to now

Crew qualification:
2 emergency medical technicians
1 sailmaker
1 mechatronic engineer