This year's adh Trophy Sailing was organized by Hochschulsport Hamburg on the Outer Alster. On August 15, ten teams from all over Germany arrived - including us from KIT, with two boats: Jan Erik Heinrich & Johannes Fischer and Moritz Clus & Jasmin Haupt.

As soon as we arrived, Hamburg showed its best side: beautiful weather, good wind and a warm welcome at the University of Hamburg's sailing jetty. After a short briefing, we were able to explore the area ourselves - and were immediately impressed. Compared to the Epplesee, where we normally sail, the Outer Alster is huge. There's something going on everywhere: SUPs, eccentric pedal boats, slim rowing boats, honking ferries, noisy excursion boats - and countless sailors in between. Plus the constantly shifting, gusty wind, in other words wind conditions similar to those on Lake Epplesee. A perfect foretaste of what we could expect in the races.

Saturday began with sunshine, challenging winds and plenty of adrenaline. The first five of a total of eight races were scheduled. Even the starts were pure excitement: ten boats close together, all trying to cross the line exactly at the start, narrowly avoiding crashes. After that, it was all about getting the best out of the wind and the boat - keeping an eye on the course, avoiding covers, making the right tactical decisions. Every race was intense, and it was particularly close at the buoys: several boats crossed their courses, shouts of "Space!", full concentration. It shows once again: sailing really is a team sport; balance, timing and coordination have to be right.

After five exhausting races on Saturday, the evening together on the jetty was simply good for everyone. Between talking shop, getting to know each other and laughing, the sense of community between the teams grew.

Three more races were scheduled for Sunday, and it remained exciting: some teams were almost level in the overall standings. Once again, we gave it our all and fought for every position. In the end, we were proud of our results:

2nd place for Moritz Clus & Jasmin Haupt

4th place for Jan Erik Heinrich & Johannes Fischer

After the award ceremony, there was still time to explore the Alster canals by SUP with the Hamburg teams - a perfect end to the day before heading back to Karlsruhe.

What do we take away with us? Not only two great placings, but also lots of new contacts, plans to visit the other teams - and the memory of a weekend that will stay in our heads for a long time to come.

Many thanks to the University of Hamburg for organizing the adh-Trophy 2025 and the University Sports Karlsruhe for supporting our teams!