21st Hanse Sail Rostock from August 11th to 14th 2011

The second weekend in August is marked red in the calendars of Rostock’s inhabitants and their guests. The 21st edition of the Hanse Sail Rostock from 11th to 14th August 2011 promises fascinating experiences at and on the water, in the air and on the quaysides of the old city harbour of Rostock as well as in Warnemünde.

In the meantime the Baltic Sea becomes indeed the "sea of traditional sailors" and the hanseatic city of Rostock plays a good role with refreshing new ideas. One of these more recent ideas is the Haikutter regatta from Nysted (Denmark) to Warnemünde the day before the Hanse Sail. In 2011 it will already take place for the third time. Here you can experience a sailing trip under racing conditions as well as a daytrip on a big windjammer or a racy schooner on the following days.

For many visitors and companies of the Sail arriving from all over Germany, sailing is the key experience of the maritime festival. For some fans "The sea of traditional sailors" additionally offers more maritime and cultural facets in half a dozen ports of the Baltic Sail network before and after the Hanse Sail.
Nevertheless the possibilities of active and passive enjoyment in the maritime sector in Rostock will increase in 2011 due to an organizational innovation.

The sporty “Warnemünder Woche”, which takes place for the 74th time July 3rd to 12th 2011, and the traditional Hanse Sail Rostock will be sailing side by side in the future.

The original event dates remain unchanged; so that the two sailing eventsbuild the time frame for an attractive “Maritime Midsummer” in Rostock & Warnemünde. The weeks between the sporty and the traditional sail, maritime treats à la carte can be enjoyed: from sailing or surfing classes up to day passenger trips on a sailing ship; ferry crossings to Gedser and back or even a port party at the quay, where huge cruise liners are welcomed and send off back home.

During the five weeks in summer Rostock & Warnemünde offer at the beach, at the quay and at the plank an uncomparable maritime diversity.

There is a novelty at the 21st Hanse Sail. For the first time a particular vessel group from the thick catalogue of the shipping history is especially acknowledged: It is the so called “new big” windjammers all built after 1945. Visitors of the 21st Hanse Sail can enjoy the “children” of old windjammers such as the 100 year old PASSAT (Travemünde) or the GORCH FOCK I (Stralsund). These include for example the 60 year old GREIF and the sail training ship of the German Navy, GORCH FOCK (1958). There is hope that the BOUNTY (1961) from the USA will head to Europe and also pay a visit to the Hanse Sail such as the STAD AMSTERDAM (2000).

No other festival offers a more diverse programme on land and at sea as the Hanse Sail. Competitions and events on the Warnow, in the city harbour and in Warnemünde are part of the Hanse Sail as well as exhibitions, conferences, exciting stage programmes or the international market, on which this year’s partner country Norway will present itself.

To put it in a nutshell: The Hanse Sail will remain as it is, but is constantly growing year after year – in 2011 even more than usual.

Welcome to the 21st Hanse Sail Rostock!