The kick-off event in Kiel.Sailing.City, the start port of the Ocean Race Europe 2025, brings together teams, host cities, partners and scientists on the topic of marine conservation.

Let's set sail for a new Era of Hope! The freshly constituted German Parliament gathered for the the election of the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz only a few kilometers from the first German Ocean Conference was held this 6-7 May.

In her podcast "The Human Behind The Sailor", Rosalin Kuiper takes you into the minds of skippers who take part in the toughest sailing races in the world, such as the Vendée Globe or The Ocean Race. Because ocean sailing is a tough business - but behind every sailor is a human being who encounters the vastness of the horizon, loneliness, storms - and challenges that could never have been anticipated.

The Imoca “Malizia – Seaexplorer” and skipper Boris Herrmann received the award for Best German Offshore Yacht 2025 at the eighteenth German Offshore Award on the evening of 6 March 2025. The ceremony took place at Hamburg City Hall and honoured the sensational 2nd place in the New-York Vendée Race 2024.

Captain Bornkessel, commander of the Gorch Fock, has just arrived in Las Palmas with his crew. Behind them lies a tough ride through the Atlantic with winds of force 10 and more. We talk about teamwork on the bream, why the Gorch Fock trains people for life, the manoeuvring of a frigate in 1797 – and what all this has to do with a poster that hung in his childhood bedroom in 1981.

At the fly-by in Kiel in June 2023, it wasn't just the race that took centre stage: over the three days, almost 90,000 visitors were able to learn about and experience the race and marine conservation on the Kiellinie in the Ocean Live Park.

The Ocean Race Summit in Alicante brought together global leaders, innovators, and advocates to confront one of the defining challenges of our time: protecting the health of our ocean and restoring society’s relationship with the blue heart of the planet.

It's 6.30am, just a few hours earlier I found out that I could interview Rosalin Kuiper. As Oranje had lost at football the previous evening, I took an orange with me as a consolation ... We talked about humour, respect and how much Rosalin is looking forward to the start of the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel.

Being on board the boats at sea is often a challenge, but sometimes you have to see the big picture to recognise what the teams are mastering. There is always a reporter on board each boat to document everything – including with drones, which also provide spectacular images for fans on land.

IT IS OVERCAST but the barometer reading is high. They arrive at the south harbour of Bear Island at two in the morning on 30 June 1908: seven obsessive birdwatchers on the steamship Strauss, along with four taxidermists and a gunsmith.

Videos of The Ocean Race Europe - Kiel

Mirko Gröschner is responsible for route planning, acquisition, host city management, marketing and technology at The Ocean Race. We spoke to him about moments in the Race that no scriptwriter could have written more excitingly, a boat that was lost for 34 days - and the close connection between the Race and marine conservation.

 I'm sitting with Björn Both, the frontman of shanty rock band Santiano, in his dressing room at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg. The concert is about to start, the hall is already full, there are various medicines for sore throats and a box of Luckies on the small table in front of us. We talked about arriving in harbours, seamanship on land and marine conservation for the oceans.

The Ocean Race, famed for testing endurance and teamwork on the high seas, is writing an exciting new chapter. For five decades our story has been one of hosting a single round-the-world race every three or four years. But today, the Race is evolving into an “always on” format.

Travelling is in Gerd Blank's genes. He brought back many stories and even more gratitude from his multi-year tour through Europe.

With his ZERO EMISSIONS project, Michael Walther combines ocean and climate protection with extreme water sports activities. He paddled with his SUP from Basel to Kiel and in Disco Bay off Greenland, and next he will be crossing the Atlantic for six and a half thousand kilometres without an accompanying boat. We spoke to him about how to make climate protection cool, the importance of mental strength and why he didn't become a lawyer.

Clemens Feigl is CEO and co-founder of everwave with a focus on preventing waste from entering our oceans. The strategy includes litter collection with smart technologies, innovative research and awareness work. We spoke to Clemens about local commitment to the oceans, huge rubbish fields in the sea and wheat beer in Singapore.

Sanni Beucke from Kiel is an Olympic silver medallist in the 49er FX, an Ocean Race participant and is now aiming for the 2028 Vendée Globe. in 2024, she founded the "This race is female" campaign and also published the book "Against the Wind". We spoke to Sanni about the forces of nature, femininity and tailwinds.

In no other harbour was the race feeling as palpable as in Kiel during the Ocean Race fly-by in June 2023. Around 120,000 people came to the Kiel Fjord and 3,000 boats were on the water to be there up close. It's not for nothing that Kiel is considered one of the world's mega sailing metropolises.

How can I become a sailor in the Ocean Race? It's a question we get asked a lot. We asked some of our sailors what they think are the most important qualities to be successful as an aspiring crew member in the Ocean Race. There isn't a simple answer, but when we put this query to some of the IMOCA sailors, a few themes kept coming to the fore.

1973 startete das erste Race – damals noch Whitbread Round the World, es folgten über 50 Jahre Segelerlebnisse unter extremsten Bedingungen: 14 Mal um die Welt, ein Mal als Europa-Edition. Im The Ocean Race Museum, das im Headquarter in Alicante untergebracht ist, kann man die ganze Faszination dieser weltweit bekannten Regatta erleben.

Marine conservation is firmly anchored in the DNA of the Ocean Race. After all, the oceans are the race courses and the wind is the boat's engine. There is a wide range of research projects and learning opportunities on marine conservation.

Renowned German sailor Boris Herrmann has been honoured with the esteemed "Deutscher Meerespreis" (German Ocean Award), presented by the Prof. Dr. Werner Petersen Foundation. This award, in partnership with the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, recognises Herrmann's significant contributions as an oceanambassador and his efforts in bringing marine research to the public.

Auf dem Weg zu den Kanaren wurde Ende März das Segelschulschiff Gorch Fock zum Schauplatz einer außergewöhnlichen Mission mitten im Atlantik. Unter der Führung von Fregattenkapitän Bornkessel führte das Segelschulschiff die Operation WHITE SWAN durch – ein Unternehmen, das Perfektion, Teamarbeit und die traditionsreiche Seefahrtskunst vereinen sollte.

Das Kiel-Marketing-Team repräsentierte auf dem Summit in Alicante die Stadt Kiel. Mit im Gepäck hatten wir für alle Beteiligten vor Ort Mitbringsel unserer Partner Flensburger und Spielbank SH – eine Ladung Flens-Kisten für ein norddeutsches Plop! und Einladungen zur Pre-opening-Night im Casino Kiel. Und: wir hatten unsere einzigartige Kiel-Storyline dabei, die am Ende alle Teilnehmenden aus ganze Europa intonierten: Wir segeln alle im selben Boot.

LONELINESS lies in the centre of the Kara Sea in the northern Arctic Ocean. This island is worthy of its name: it is cold and barren, trapped in pack ice all winter, with an average annual temperature of 16 degrees; at the height of summer the temperature sometimes rises to just over freezing.

British offshore sailor Pip Hare will sail alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer and the four-person sailing team on every leg of the race, bringing her extensive offshore sailing experience and energy to bear.

Rosalin Kuiper is a professional ocean sailor and studied psychology, specialising in team building in high-performance sport. She is a skipper for Holcim-PRB in the Ocean Race Europe. Rosalin is active on Instagram and LinkedIn, where this article by her also appeared.

Fischkutter, Netze und Reusen so weit das Auge reicht. Salzige Luft, im Hintergrund das leise Rauschen des Meeres – das ist der Möltenorter Hafen. Mittendrin: der Wagen von Björn Fischer. Der Seebär kennt die Ostsee wie seine Westentasche und führt bereits seit 40 Jahren eine langanhaltende Familientradition fort.

Greta-Sophie Strauß and Anjoscha Voigtsberger have already gained valuable experience during the Ocean Race Fly-by in June 2023. Now the Ocean Race Europe is coming up - and it's hard to say where the joy is greater: for the two of them or for the many guests we are expecting.

 Whether deliberately discharged or unintentionally introduced, plastic waste, pharmaceuticals, toxic heavy metals, insecticides and other chemicals have found their way to every corner of the oceans. The consequences are catastrophic and often lethal, especially for marine organisms. The only good news is that international prohibitions of some pollutants are beginning to have an effect. Without radical changes in industry and commerce, however, the pollution crisis in the oceans cannot be overcome.

Jährlich passieren Tausende von Schiffen den Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, was Lotsen zu unverzichtbaren Führern für sichere Durchfahrten macht. Gerald Immens ist einer von ihnen. Er lebt seinen Traumberuf und verrät uns, warum der Job wie ein Taxistand ist, wie unterschiedlich jeder Tag ist und warum es nicht auf die Größe der Schiffe ankommt.

Rosalin Kuiper is a professional ocean sailor and studied psychology, specialising in team building in high-performance sport. She is a skipper for Holcim-PRB in the Ocean Race Europe. Rosalin is active on Instagram and LinkedIn, where this article by her also appeared.

 The oceans and seas provide oxygen for breathing and food, they provide work for millions and millions of people and are loved as a place of longing, a spiritual home, a sports or adventure playground. At the same time, the oceans regulate the weather and climate and slow down man-made global warming. The future of humanity is therefore directly linked to the fate of the oceans.

 Humankind has divided the ocean into artificial zones in order to lay sole claim to specific areas and their resources. Species and water masses, however, migrate undisturbed across the borders of these zones, as do heat, pollutants and litter. Successful marine management therefore requires collective solutions.

 Today, industry and business are interested in a wide range of resources found in the ocean, including sand, crude oil and natural gas, while preparations are under way for the industrial exploitation of vast ore deposits in the deep sea. At the same time, governments and corporations are expanding the production of green electricity from the sea. Both of these developments will result in even more large-scale human interventions in the ocean environment.

 In recent decades shipping has become the backbone of international trade. More and more goods are being transported from one continent to another by ship. But this growth also has a downside. Exhaust emissions from ships pollute the air and accelerate climate change, while noise, sewage, garbage and invasive species put pressure on marine ecosystems. New, environmentally sound solutions are needed as quickly as possible.

Die „Gorch Fock“, das Segelschulschiff der Marine, ist mit ihrem Heimathafen Kiel und den Menschen hier eng verbunden. Regelmäßig wird das Schiff von den Menschen verabschiedet und bei seiner Rückkehr wieder empfangen. Zum Ocean Race Europe in Kiel kann die Gorch Fock beim Open Ship besucht werden.

 In the course of evolution, marine life has developed an astonishing variety of ingenious forms, functions and survival strategies. Marine-derived natural products and pharmaceuticals may therefore deliver progress and profit in many different economic sectors. However, it is still largely unclear who exactly may profit from the oceans’ genetic diversity, how it can be used fairly and, above all, how its conservation can be guaranteed in the long term.

ALFRED VAN CLEEF wollte unbedingt hierher. Auf die Insel, die den Namen seiner Geburtsstadt trägt, zu dem Ort, der seinem Gefühl entspricht. Die Überfahrt dauerte nur ein par Wochen, das Ringen um die Genehmigung seines Besuchs acht Jahre.

 We have known for decades that the Earth’s atmosphere is warming and the climate is changing, and that this is caused by our emissions of greenhouse gases. Our mindsets, however, have remained unchanged and precious time has been wasted. Only now, with dramatic impacts becoming increasingly obvious, are leaders starting to make serious efforts to find solutions. They are forced to recognize that merely reducing greenhouse gases is not enough to keep climate change within tolerable limits.

 The world ocean is the second largest carbon reservoir on Earth. It stores around 40,000 billion tonnes of carbon. The amount of carbon contained in the ocean exceeds that in the atmosphere by a factor of greater than 50. The ocean and atmosphere, however, are constantly exchanging carbon. With increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, which slows the rate of climate change.

DIE SEHNSUCHT NACH EINEM HEIMLICHEN Doppelgänger, der auf der anderen Seite der Erde lebt, kopfüber, seine Füße unseren Füßen zugewandt, von der Schwerkraft an dieselbe Kugel gekettet. Unsere Gegenfüßler wohnen in den gleichen Längen, aber entgegengesetzten Breiten, ihre Jahreszeiten sind den unseren gegenüber, ihre Stunden verschoben.

 Algae, zooplankton and fish are prime drivers of what is termed the biological carbon pump. This natural process needs nutrients to function properly. Such nutrients, however, are lacking in many places, notably in sunlit surface waters. Pumping up nutrient-rich deep ocean water could remedy this nutrient deficiency. Whether such a step would actually increase the ocean’s natural uptake of carbon is uncertain.

As it sometimes happens: you meet someone whose energy inspires you through an acquaintance, three corners and social media. Janina Rossiter is such a person: she is an illustrator, author, activist – for the ocean, for the protection of our planet. We are very happy that she is on board with us.

Der Kieler Anker bietet mehr als warme Mahlzeiten. Mit Mittagstischen, sozialen Stadtführungen und Ehrenamt schafft die Einrichtung Halt und Perspektiven. Hier wird Gemeinschaft gelebt, Vorurteile abgebaut und Menschen in prekären Lebenslagen aktiv unterstützt.

IM JAHRE 1962 benennen die Franzosen der ersten Mission das nördlichste Bergmassiv nach dem größten Wunschmaschinisten, den ihre Nation hervorgebracht hat. Nun tragen ein schroffer Höhenzug auf der Insel des Besitzes und ein Krater auf der Rückseite des Mondes den Namen Jules Vernes – zwei Pole, die er auf seinen außergewöhnlichen Reisen mühelos erreicht.

SÜDLICH VOM KAPLAND dehnt sich ein weites Meer, ozeanografisch noch unerforscht. Gleich hinter der Agulhas-Bank brechen alle Lotungen ab. Mit weißem Tropenanstrich steuert die Valdivia nach Süden, nimmt einen Kurs, den seit mehr als 50 Jahren kein Schiff wählte.

Marine conservation begins on land – in the Warder Ark just outside the gates of Kiel. The ocean provides a habitat for countless plant and animal species. The diversity of this habitat is under threat. In addition to many other factors, agriculture also plays a role.

AM 8. DEZEMBER 1874 zieht sich der Himmel zu; in der Nacht darauf wird es wechselhaft und neblig. // Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, hier den Beginn des Venustransits beobachten zu können, lag bei 60 Prozent, und die, das Ende zu sehen, bei 30.

IM JAHRE 1962 benennen die Franzosen der ersten Mission das nördlichste Bergmassiv nach dem größten Wunschmaschinisten, den ihre Nation hervorgebracht hat. Nun tragen ein schroffer Höhenzug auf der Insel des Besitzes und ein Krater auf der Rückseite des Mondes den Namen Jules Vernes – zwei Pole, die er auf seinen außergewöhnlichen Reisen mühelos erreicht.

Meeresschutz beginnt an Land – in der Arche Warder direkt vor den Toren von Kiel. Die ursprünglichen Kulturlandschaften Europas sind vielfältig und abwechslungsreich. Dies ist auch das Ergebnis der Einwirkungen von Mensch und Nutztier.

DIESER SCHROFFE, DAUERFEUCHTE Flecken ist niemals Teil einer Landmasse gewesen, sondern kommt direkt aus der Tiefe der See; er ist ein Stück Erdkruste vom Boden des Ozeans, das zufällig über den Meeresspiegel geschleudert wurde, die aus dem Wasser ragende Wirbelsäule eines unterseeischen Rückens.

Marine conservation begins on land – in the Arche (Ark) Warder just outside the gates of Kiel. Arche Warder is located in the heart of Schleswig-Holstein, just 20 minutes from Kiel, and is a unique animal park with a holistic concept.

IM JAHRE 1962 benennen die Franzosen der ersten Mission das nördlichste Bergmassiv nach dem größten Wunschmaschinisten, den ihre Nation hervorgebracht hat. Nun tragen ein schroffer Höhenzug auf der Insel des Besitzes und ein Krater auf der Rückseite des Mondes den Namen Jules Vernes – zwei Pole, die er auf seinen außergewöhnlichen Reisen mühelos erreicht.

 Dr. Inez Linke is co-founder and managing director of oceanBASIS GmbH, which is based in Kiel-Holtenau. From her office, she looks out over the shipping traffic in front of the locks of the Kiel Canal and, if she is lucky, even sees a dolphin. Inez loves algae and, as a marine biologist, has developed the Kiel-based natural cosmetics company Oceanwell. How does that fit together - and what do algae have to do with marine conservation or even sailing?

Our local beaches are a real paradise – but unfortunately they are often littered with rubbish. This is exactly where our FLENS StrandGut campaign comes in: We want to lend a hand again in 2025 and work with you to clear our region's coasts of rubbish. With a new record target of 60 million square metres, we are making our beaches even cleaner and more beautiful.

Our Oceanwell initiative “Protect the Ocean” is celebrating its anniversary: With stories that speak of encounters – with wilderness, turtles, waves, and people. The first takes us to Africa, to the coastal village of Pitiké in the far southwest of Côte d’Ivoire – where sea turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs in the sand.

Am Seefischmarkt Kiel schlägt das Herz der maritimen Innovation: TransMarTech (TMT) vernetzt Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft, um nachhaltige Lösungen für die Zukunft der Meere zu fördern. Wie das TMT innovative Ideen in marktfähige Technologien verwandelt, erfährst du hier!

Ralf's journey to work in the morning takes him across the water of the Kiel Fjord, the trip on the fjord steamer seems like something from another world.

IM JAHRE 1962 benennen die Franzosen der ersten Mission das nördlichste Bergmassiv nach dem größten Wunschmaschinisten, den ihre Nation hervorgebracht hat. Nun tragen ein schroffer Höhenzug auf der Insel des Besitzes und ein Krater auf der Rückseite des Mondes den Namen Jules Vernes – zwei Pole, die er auf seinen außergewöhnlichen Reisen mühelos erreicht.

Meeresschutz beginnt an Land – in der Arche Warder direkt vor den Toren von Kiel. Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr? Nein, denn in der Arche Warder wird Bildung als lebenslanger Prozess verstanden.

IM JAHRE 1962 benennen die Franzosen der ersten Mission das nördlichste Bergmassiv nach dem größten Wunschmaschinisten, den ihre Nation hervorgebracht hat. Nun tragen ein schroffer Höhenzug auf der Insel des Besitzes und ein Krater auf der Rückseite des Mondes den Namen Jules Vernes – zwei Pole, die er auf seinen außergewöhnlichen Reisen mühelos erreicht.

 The collaboration between Flensburger Brauerei and The Ocean Race Europe, which starts in Kiel, is based on shared values: sporting ambition, regional identity and sustainable enjoyment.

In the early 20th century, sailing in Kiel inspired two extraordinary individuals: Albert Einstein and Dr Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe. Their shared passion for sailing and fascination with science led to a friendship that extended far beyond their hobby.

In the second episode of our Protect-the-Ocean expedition – Protect the Ocean is the marine conservation initiative of our natural cosmetics brand Oceanwell – we invite you to dive into the fascinating underwater world off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire. There, we’re witnessing the creation of one of West Africa’s first marine protected areas – and showing how vision, a camera, and a whole lot of idealism turned it into a real “Marine Protected Area.”

Why go far away when the good things are so close? The Schleswig-Holstein coast has everything to make your holiday heart beat faster: Kilometres of sandy beaches, fresh sea air and a unique blend of space and cosiness. Anyone who lets their gaze wander over the waves here knows that relaxation sometimes begins right on their own doorstep.

 We have been brewing our beer in Flensburg with passion and success for more than 136 years. Around 270 employees ensure that everything runs smoothly – from the brewing kettle to the famous plop'. But tradition alone is not enough to steer us into the future. That's why we are now breaking new ground and focussing on sustainability.

The Protect-the-Ocean expedition to Côte d'Ivoire is coming to an end. Protect-the-Ocean is the marine conservation initiative of our natural cosmetics brand Oceanwell and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The last leg of the expedition takes us to the coastal forest of Kablaké, which is sacred to the Krouman, a local ethnic group. It is part of the "MPA Grand Bereby" marine protected area.