Hanse Sail - that always means an exciting state of emergency in Rostock and Warnemünde.

In the 33 years of its existence, the Hanse Sail Rostock has experienced modifications again and again. There are only a few program items that have remained fixed over the years, but new ones keep cropping up. My impression is that in recent years, there have been mainly innovations on land. But of course there is also something happening on the water. The so-called schooner race on Thursday was a highlight of the Hanse Sail 2024 in its second edition. This year the Dutch sailing ships "Swaensborgh", "Regina Maris" and "Stortemelk" have raced. Even though Dutch sailors often and happily set a lot of sail, I myself have rarely seen such a sight before. The crew on board the ships have done everything they can, even though they usually sail with a reduced rig and less speed. Of course, the sailing guests on board have to join in if a few more sails are set instead of the sun or rain canopy and if the ship's tilt prevents them from enjoying the buffet and drinks in a relaxed manner. According to the organisers, almost 200 guests experienced the regatta atmosphere. After about four nautical miles, or just under 7.5 kilometers, the "Stortemelk" was the first ship to reach the finish line. The "Swaensborgh" and the "Regina Maris" followed a few minutes later at close intervals.

On Sunday the Match Race took place again, again a race between the Polish "Baltic Beauty" and the Dutch "Abel Tasman". What I remember very clearly about this sail was a lot of wind on all days, which meant a wavy Baltic Sea and uncomfortable conditions for taking photos. Did the sailing guests on board of the "Baltic Beauty" enjoy the live music and Polish food? Considerating the seasickness of some guests the sailing route had to be shortened. "Abel Tasman" won the new edition of the race again this year.

Unfortunately, 2024 was also the "Sail of Engine Failures". The announced "Cisne Branco" from Brazil had to cancel the tour through Europe caused by a damaged engine. The Spanish 3-masted schooner "Pascual Flores" required technical support after machine failure in order to be able to sail at least some of the booked trips. The Hanse Sail Rostock organised mechanics. The Hanse Sail Association also made a monetary donation to compensate for the lost income. On Sunday the ship was on the water. Days before I saw "Amazone" towed by a rescue ship of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, apparently with machine problems. Starting next year, the traditional German ship will sail for the Kiel association "Jugendsegeln" e.V. The coastal gossip also reported on engine problems on "Albin Köbis", which were, however, quickly overcome. Almost every time a ship breaks down, places for fellow sailors have to be rebooked on other ships. A difficult task for the Sail's booking office, but one that they mastered.

There were also trips with young people as part of the charity campaign "Sail4Kids". The Hanse Sail organized three ships for this. "De Albertha", "Hanne-Marie" und "Hoffnung" took 70 children and youth with candicap or from socially disadvantaged families on board to give them a sailing experience. Such trips are made possible by sponsors. The money also helps the ships on the Thursday of the Sail, which is often low on bookings.

Financial support was provided for some "ships in need". This solidarity campaign by the Hanse Sail uses a portion of the registration fees during the Sail for special donations. Support was given to the sailing training ships "Greif", which is completely overhauled in Stralsund, and the loggers "Belle Amie" as well as "Vegesack BV2". The latter was unable to take part in the Hanse Sail this year due to an accident on the Channel coast, but is a loyal guest in Rostock.

My dream of a "small medieval ship meeting" at the Hanse Sail had to be postponed again this year. Three of the replicas of medieval ships, the "Hansekogge" from Kiel, the Pommernkogge "Ucra" from Ückermünde and the "Wissemara" from Wismar, have been in Rostock and visible on the river Warnow in a not too long distance. However, the weather prevented a joint photo with medieval ships under sail.

Sailing ships are the stars at the Hanse Sail Rostock. Without sailing ships, there is no Sail. New to me or for the first time at the Sail were the aforementioned "Pascual Flores" from Spain, the ship with probably the furthest distance from the home port, and the Swedish "Mathilda". The announced ships "Cisne Branco" and the Dutch ketch "De Tukker" would also have been stars. "De Tukker" unfortunately did not arrive too. Incidentally, it transports free of emission loads under sail, currently mainly along the west coast of Europe.

In my point of view, our traditional German sailing ships are just as indispensable. Of course, they use the opportunities at the Hanse Sail to earn the money they need for the maintenance. The bookings were good, as they were last year. However, the demand for sailing is no longer as high as it was before the pandemic. Ship operators are responding to this trend with more, but rather shorter, trips. They make the effort up to three times a day with a lot of traffic on the Warnow all the way to the Baltic Sea. For most sailing guests, that is enough. Those who see themselves as a crew member, on the other hand, would like more hours on a ship.

I used to wander around the harbour a lot more, gathering information or standing on the pier heads to take photos. That was less the case last year and less this year too. It clearly depends on the weather, but probably also on the number of trips the ships make, whether you can see them under sail on land. The previously popular squadron trips on the Warnow, which almost had the character of a parade, out in the morning and back home again in the evening, are more of a constant coming and going now and are less attractive for photography due to the resulting sail settings.

An initiative with the potential to become a good tradition of the Hanse Sail was the Baltic Friendship 2024. This is a project to introduce young people from different nations to sailing on traditional sailing ships. 17 German and Polish trainees and students completed a three-day trip immediately before the Hanse Sail. Whether at the helm, in the rigging or in the galley, the project promised a wide range of new experiences, encounters and intercultural exchange. Such projects make important goals of the Hanse Sail clear. International understanding in the Baltic Sea region is strengthened. Enthusiasm for traditional shipping and maritime heritage is awakened. All the organisers involved agree on this. This project was also made possible by sponsors. The sponsors were largely also interested in getting young people excited about maritime careers. As their ship the sailors have used the "Großherzogin Elisabeth", which I observed on the horizon under full sail in the early morning on the Wednesday before the Sail.

Fireworks are also a good tradition in Rostock. Due to stricter safety regulations, there were interruptions, but this year it worked again. On Thursday I watched a small show on the beach in Warnemünde. My discovery that evening was the band "Luna Soul" from Schwerin, who had previously played on a small stage. On Saturday there was a so-called pyro-musical in the city harbour. The combination of light effects with selected music also struck a chord with the visitors. I have been very spoiled in France when it comes to such shows. But I also had goosebumps when the ship's crew thanked the Hanse Sail for the performance with a loud salute from sirens.

The Hanse Sail 2024 in numbers is very impressive, as it is every year. From Thursday to Sunday, around half a million people were in the areas between the city harbor and Warnemünde. But you can definitely find quiet places at the Sail too where you can enjoy the atmosphere or the ships away from the crowds. There was a rush at the 20 stages of the event, where around 200 artists performed. Around 130 ships offered 16,000 places for trips on the Warnow and Baltic Sea.

Were there any wishes left unfulfilled? What I am worried about is the national awareness of this event, which the organisers always praise with superlatives. This year at the Sail in Brest, I was asked whether there are traditional ships and events like those in France in Germany. The Hanse Sail Rostock is not known there. Press representatives asked, but it will not have been the trade press that asked such questions. Nevertheless, I see it as a constant challenge for the organisers of the Hanse Sail to make the event known nationally. The major press agencies, radio and television must be approached so that they report on it. It is also challenging to keep getting sailing ships to take part. For this, the conditions must be right in terms of berths. The city of Rostock must invest here in order to be able to provide quaysides for larger ships. The port and seaman's office in Rostock has already started renovating the port facilities in the area of ​​the Haedge peninsula and the Kempowski bank in Rostock's city harbor. The quay will be reinforced over a total of 400 meters using sheet pile walls, anchors, deep foundations and a reinforced concrete slab in order to restore the full functionality of the port facility permanently and in the long term. But what about the necessary water depth of the Warnow up to the berths? There are also still plans to divide the city harbour with a bridge. How this will be compatible with ship operations during a Sail is not yet clear to me.

Now, in any case, the clock on the facade of the Hanse Sail office is ticking again. It counts down the time until August 7, 2025, when the next Hanse Sail begins in Rostock.