Interview NRV/Olli Schwall – Segelbundesliga.

The Power of Simple Ideas or “Big Ideas Travel”

The “Konzeptwerft” from Hamburg has developed a series of sailing formats that have made the sport of sailing more successful and brought greater visibility and relevance, from the Audi Sailing Team Germany to the Sailing Bundesliga and the SAILING Champions League. Oliver Schwall, former world champion in the Olympic Tornado class and managing partner of the agency, talks with Sandra-Valeska Bruhns about the origins, successes, and outlook of the league.

Twelve Years of Sailing Bundesliga – How did it all start?

Olli: We worked on refining this format in parallel with building the Audi Sailing Team Germany. Inspired by other sports leagues, we wanted to create a club competition. Leagues exist everywhere—in football, handball, ice hockey—but not in sailing. We wanted to change that.

Looking at the format, one wonders why someone didn’t come up with the idea earlier.

Olli: Yes, that’s true. We basically looked at other league sports, especially football, and applied those rules to sailing. Club competition wasn’t a thing in sailing, but terms like relegation, qualification, promotion, and league tables were universally understood. Just the league table alone helps not only sailors but also journalists to get an overview. Everyone immediately understands: Who’s on top? Who’s at risk of relegation? And 18 league clubs are familiar to all sports fans.

But did you really just copy from football to make the Sailing Bundesliga successful?

Olli: Well, it wasn’t just copying; it was also standardizing and adapting to sailing. This meant organizing the playing field, establishing extremely short races of up to twelve minutes, placing the races close to shore, and neutralizing the material battle. In the league, boats are provided, and everyone has the exact same equipment.

What makes the league format so attractive for sailors?

Olli: From the perspective of sailors, there are several aspects. Primarily, it’s the short but numerous races over a three-day league weekend. Each club races up to 16 times per league event! Plus, there’s the absolute uniformity of equipment, swapped out after each race. The small fleets of just six boats mean you can arrive at the first mark in midfield but still have the front spot within reach until the finish line. So, it’s suspenseful until the end. And last but not least, the fact that you’re competing not just for yourself but for your club. That creates much greater identification within the clubs than simple class regattas.

How cohesive are the clubs with each other? Is it fierce competition or sportsmanship?

Olli: Definitely the latter. Through the league, clubs in Germany are coming together more than ever before. Sailors meet, compete against each other, and socialize together in the evenings. League events have become true community highlights. Daytime is about fair sporting competition, and evenings are for shared time and high-level exchanges… This brings a lot of joy not only to us as organizers but also to the hosting clubs.

What significance does the league have from the clubs’ perspective?

Olli: This varies from club to club and is supported or celebrated differently. Overall, though, there’s no sailing format where the identification is as strong as in the league. And this applies worldwide—whether it’s the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club, the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, the Bavarian Yacht Club, or the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Many clubs have firmly anchored the league as one of two strategic pillars in their sports development.

What does this mean for the members?

Olli: I think we all know that sports and sailing clubs aren’t exactly seeing a surge in new, young members. This is a global issue, by the way. The league is an attractive option for young sailors to get into the sport or stay loyal to sailing. Unfortunately, many young people who complete basic training in Optis, 420s, or 29ers end up leaving the sport. In the league, you can still balance education or studies with competitive sailing thanks to flexible team member usage or club squad structures. And you spend weekends with your community and buddies.

How attractive is the league for ambitious elite sailors?

Olli: I find it extremely attractive. Let’s take some numbers as an example: Out of 100 young sailors with ambitions, all dream of an Olympic medal or a spot on big Grand Prix teams like the America’s Cup or SAIL GP. Of those 100, 70 drop out along the way for various reasons—other sports, lack of time due to studies/training, budget constraints, or a lack of talent and success. Of the remaining 30, only about ten get close to Olympic qualification or being considered by a so-called pro team. Ultimately, only one or two athletes from that group might make it. So, what about the other 98? Unfortunately, there’s a risk that many will turn away from sailing. Of course, not all join the league, but generally speaking, it’s a real alternative for the majority of them.

How has the league format been received by the media?

Olli: Journalists, not just dedicated sailing journalists, immediately understood the format. Maybe not the details—race progress, tactics, wind shifts, performance, etc.—but they understand the league table, the local connection to clubs in the region, promotion, relegation, first league, second league, etc. Local media prefer reporting on their local heroes. Thus, the league is by far the most widely reaching sailing format in Germany. Both through social media and traditional outlets like newspapers and regional TV programs. Our live streaming reaches an average of a football stadium audience—between 30,000 and 50,000 viewers.

What is the international development of league sailing?

Olli: The snowball effect right after the launch of the German league surprised even us. After Denmark adapted the format 1:1, we jointly invited clubs to the first SAILING Champions League in Copenhagen. Over 20 clubs from 20 countries attended. From then on, the international rollout began at a breathtaking pace. And today, after twelve years of the Bundesliga, there are sailing leagues in more than 23 countries. We realize that the strategic gap of “league sailing” is not just a German phenomenon but a global one.

In the Sailing Bundesliga, women and men together form the squads of the respective clubs.

To what extent do your sailing concepts promote women’s sailing?

Olli: Six years ago, we first invited teams to the Women’s SAILING Champions League as part of Kiel Week. The response was great, but integrating it into Kiel Week was not ideal for various reasons. After that, on the initiative of the Danish league, the WOMEN ON WATER campaign emerged. Basically, a series of women’s sailing events in league format in various European countries. This is the basis for the overwhelming success of the Women’s SAILING Champions League today. This year, for the finals in Berlin, we have 32 spots but could easily allocate ten more. Meanwhile, the percentage of women in the Sailing Bundesliga is steadily growing.

What role do the league associations—DSL e.V. and ISLA—play in the development of the Sailing Bundesliga?

Olli: Both associations, which are entirely organized by volunteers, are crucial for the stability and growth of the league. They serve as focal points for the interests of clubs or national league organizations. The elected, volunteer representatives work closely with us. Membership fees, entry fees, etc., are collected and allocated through these bodies. Clubs or new league initiatives, as well as national associations interested in league sports—recently including China and India—have a first point of contact with ISLA, for example. The rest usually goes through our office. We provide the necessary documents needed to start a league (Notice of Race, presentations, videos, checklists, etc.). All relevant decisions such as format changes, qualification modes, events, and schedules are made within ISLA or DSL e.V. committees.

Do you receive support from the umbrella organization, namely DSV or World Sailing?

Olli: In other countries, such as Sweden or Norway, sailing leagues receive significantly more support from their national associations. We hope to receive even more support from DSV than we have received so far, especially in terms of providing resources, budgets, infrastructure, and umpire training. World Sailing is a different matter. We have been waiting for what is called “Special Events Status” from World Sailing for some time. This would greatly assist us in applying or adapting regulations and further enhance the league’s positive recognition and reputation. Unlike other commercial sailing formats like SAIL GP, we are not willing to pay for this special status. However, I am confident that we will succeed in making the Bundesliga a ‘special event’ for sailors; our board is working diligently to achieve this goal.

How is the league financed?

Olli: Financing is based on three pillars: club contributions, sponsors, and contributions from cities that support hosting. The most important pillar, however, is the support of volunteer helpers, with an average of over 20 people per event actively assisting our team. From race officers to mark layers to event runners at the club grounds. We currently focus primarily on the sponsor pillar. Since the pandemic, it hasn’t been easy to convince new partners of the sailing league concept. However, we are optimistic about presenting at least one new partner for the upcoming season. Our goal is to increase the share of sponsor contributions in the total volume from the current 35 percent to over 50 percent.

What makes the league attractive to partners and sponsors?

Olli: The league and the SAILING Champions League take place almost year-round and offer numerous communication opportunities with many events at various locations. League sports are firmly entrenched in national and regional media, social media, and clubs, thus firmly embedded in sailors’ minds from April to November. This substantial media presence is incomparable to any previous sailing event. Media analyses show that we penetrate local newspapers, particularly regional editions, where most coverage of local clubs occurs. Additionally, there’s a high level of identification among club members with the league and their club’s performance, making it ideal for brands and companies seeking access to the sailing community. League events become local happenings, enhanced by customer incentives, joint evening events, and intensified press and social media efforts, making them more attractive to fans and sponsors.

What does a league season cost for a club?

Olli: Calculating an entire Bundesliga season, including the league cup and participation in the SAILING Champions League (qualifiers and finals), along with entry fees and travel/accommodation costs, amounts to approximately €25,000 to €30,000 for a season. Clubs with their own training boats and additional coaches should budget more.

Isn’t this a lot for a sailing club that must cater to the interests of many different members?

Olli: I don’t think so. This amount must be weighed against what each club receives by participating in the Sailing Bundesliga. On average, about ten league team members sail per club, costing around €2,500 per sailor per season. I find this manageable and reasonable, especially when compared to costs for international or Olympic class boats, which quickly amount to ten to a hundred times as much. It’s important to note that clubs do not have to cover this sum from their annual budget. Many clubs finance the proportional costs of the league season through levies or league-specific contributions per team member, in addition to support from local sponsors.

Where do you see the German Sailing Bundesliga in three years?

Olli: There will certainly continue to be a stable first and second league, along with a further expanded junior league ensuring the league’s future talent for the coming years. Due to high demand, there will also be a women’s league with at least three events per season for women’s teams.

How can the Sailing Bundesliga be inclusive?

Olli: The league has always been active in the area of inclusion and has taken a pioneering role. For me, inclusion means integrating people with disabilities into our league format, not introducing a special ranking. Inclusive teams have been participating in the Bundesliga for many years, sailing successfully in the second Sailing Bundesliga. This year, a team with members who have visual and hearing impairments qualified. This natural integration into our league format embodies lived inclusion.

And where do you see the Champions League in three years?

Olli: In three years, we will be represented in 30 countries on at least three continents, allowing us to sail both continental Champions League finals and a “World SAILING Champions League Final.” To support this, we have a global partner on board, whose brand is present in at least twenty countries.

Dear Olli, thank you for the interview, and we wish you a successful 2024 Sailing Bundesliga season.