© Kiel-Marketing
SPROTS, SALT WATER, SAILING CITY: Ceyda
“Our child still talks about the optics course at Segelcamp.”
When the tent landscape of the sailing camp is erected on the shores of the Kiel Fjord from May to September, a special time begins. But before the first sailing experiences can be gained here or courses on marine conservation can be attended, the team already has a long and arduous journey behind it. The construction of the sailing camp – a look behind the scenes.
Three weeks until the opening
A few seagulls screech over the fjord and the wind blows across the Reventlou meadow. Otherwise it is a quiet morning, the small fish & chips restaurant Moby is still closed. The place looks deserted in the morning, but the sailing camp is due to take shape here in a few hours. The camp will offer many different sailing courses throughout the summer, as well as courses on sustainability and marine conservation.
Jonathan Hartmann, Business Unit Manager, and Project Manager Anjoscha Voigtsberger stand waiting on the promenade. The tent builder is behind schedule. The goal is clear: in just three days, all the tents and containers should be up and running, the electricity connected - in short, the camp ready for use. The wind is still whistling around their ears. After about an hour, something starts to happen. The first containers are moved and the first tent is already being worked on. The two are lucky, they don't have to do any work themselves today. However, they have to keep an eye on everything during set-up “We are responsible for ensuring that the dimensions are kept as planned and that the meadow and path are not destroyed,” explains Anjoscha.
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Apart from a volleyball court and a white tent, there is not much to see at the Reventlouwiese
Meanwhile, the organization is running at full speed in the background: Sinje, Anni, Maren and Matse are concentrating on their computers in the office. They are working on staff planning for the coming weeks, coordinating duty rosters and answering inquiries about course bookings.
But the booking system fails shortly before the start of the booking process. Anni, who is responsible for the sailing camp's bookkeeping, looks visibly stressed as she dials one number after another on the phone. A solution to this problem must be found urgently. Because if the system doesn't work, no sailing courses can be booked, even though there is great demand for sailing courses. Anni can't switch off during her lunch break, the booking system service is unavailable. “I must have had at least 20 calls for the sailing courses today,” she tells the lunch crowd. People are still asking for places, even though the courses are already fully booked.
“It's worth the effort when you know that the sailing camp also enables disadvantaged children to take part.”
Anjoscha Voigtsberger, Project Manager
Two weeks until the opening
It is still early in the morning when the sailing camp team gathers in the big tent. Thirteen people stand in a circle, young and older faces. Sinje is in the middle, coordinating the whole thing. “Don't forget to wear safety shoes and gloves,” she calls out over the group. “Who has done a first aid course?” Some arms shoot up, a few nod in affirmation. The tone is friendly but firm. Out here, among the hulls and tools, no risk can be underestimated.
After the brief meeting, the team splits up. One group gets into the van and heads off to the Kiel Marketing office to pick up materials for the guest service. Another goes to Stadtwerke Kiel to get cleaning materials - after all, the dinghy jetty still needs to be cleaned. A third team secures the cutters and prepares them for transportation by crane. The rest disappear into the workshop, where, among other things, the life jackets are stored.
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The cutter is transported into the fjord with a crane
While everyone goes about their business, Sinje and Matse head to the promenade. The large orange crane is waiting there. With practiced grips, they secure the first cutter together with a few helping hands. The ropes are tightened, a tug here and there, then a strong “More tension!” from Sinje. Seconds later, the first cutter floats above the ground and slowly dives into the Kiel Fjord. The action does not go unnoticed. The first walkers gather on the Reventlou meadow. Some stop, others sit down on the grass and watch the scene.
While something is happening on the promenade, the big tent is still in chaos. Furniture is strewn about, cables are scattered on the floor and boxes are piled up. The smell of wood shavings wafts through your nose and the whole thing is still reminiscent of a building site. Over the next few days, the furniture is to be rearranged, curtains put up and the service counter set up. The team will spend the next few days in the camp from tomorrow until late in the afternoon.
“For me, the most important factor for a successful sailing camp is the team: that everyone gets on well together, enjoys their work and realizes that their work is appreciated - by us internally and by the guests. When parents say: “Our child is still talking about the optics course”, then you know you've done something right.”
Annika Schuster, Accountant
One week until the opening
The official opening of the camp is just around the corner and most of the furniture is in the right place. Only a few cushions and bags are still lying on the floor, small traces of the intensive construction phase. “There's not much left to do,” says Sinje. Where just a few weeks ago there was an empty meadow, a small tent landscape has quickly emerged. Now the time has almost come: in just a few days, the first visitors will be able to enter the camp and discover the wide range of activities on offer. This is all thanks to the dedicated team who planned, supported and set up the camp together and grew even closer as a team.
The opening
The tent doors of the main tent are open, a gentle breeze wafts through the tent, in front of which a lounge with parasols and seating invites you to linger. Soft jazz music fills the tent and the surrounding area, children run around laughing at the back of the camp, throwing balls at each other on the volleyball court, and there is no sign of the disorder of the last few weeks of setting up. In the tent, the catering team sets up the dessert platters and the champagne glasses are filled for the guests who will soon be arriving. Some are already looking at the tent landscape or making themselves comfortable in the lounge.
“Our long-term goal is to make the sailing camp, which has been in existence for 23 years, fit for the future and establish it as a permanent structure on the Kiellinie, especially in the course of the planned renovation of the Kiellinie. This should not only improve the quality of use and quality of stay, but also save costs in the long term and extend the offer to the winter months: with a bathing area, sauna and restaurants nearby as an attractive location on the Kiellinie all year round.”
Jonathan Hartmann, Business Unit Manager
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© Kiel-Marketing
The area gradually fills up and more and more guests arrive. Small groups come together and the first conversations begin. The official part of the event begins with a clink of glasses and a speech by Uwe Wanger, Managing Director of Kiel Marketing. The guests gather in a semi-circle in front of the Managing Director and listen intently. However, he is not the only one at the microphone; the City President and a representative of the Board of Stadtwerke Kiel also address the audience with short speeches.
Suddenly, a group of small children push their way through the crowd. It is the class from Friedrich Junge Primary School. The moment has arrived for the symbolic handover of the steering wheel, an integral part of the camp tradition. But the class does not stop at the gesture. The pupils provide a musical finale to the opening with a short concert. The guests applaud enthusiastically and with the last sound of applause, it is official: Sailing Camp 2025 is open.
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The sailing camp powered by Stadtwerke Kiel is a non-profit and public project that takes place every year from May to September. Since its inception in 2003, it has been organized in cooperation between the City of Kiel, Stadtwerke Kiel and Kiel-Marketing. The aim of the sailing camp is to give children and young people their first experience of sailing and to teach important values such as communication, teamwork, fairness and environmental awareness. Participants have the opportunity to choose from over 30 different courses and also learn more about topics such as marine conservation and sustainability.
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Ceyda Taner
Communications & PR, Kiel-Marketing
Ceyda Taner completed a three-month internship in press and public relations at Kiel-Marketing as part of her degree programme in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. During this time, she had the opportunity to experience the development of the sailing camp at close quarters and to accompany it as a journalist.
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