Norddeutscher Regatta Verein
Hamburg, Germany
In the past decade, NRV has competed in two other Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cups, making this year their third IC. The NRV finished 15th in 2009 and 2011.
NRV is one of the oldest and largest sailing clubs in Germany, with currently about 2,000 members. Founded in 1868, the Club is committed to regatta sailing, with an important goal of introducing children to regatta sailing. As a regatta organizer, NRV is the co-founder of Kieler Woche and is still closely involved in the organization of Germany's biggest regatta. Since establishing the NRV Olympic Team in 2000, NRV is regularly present at the Olympic Games. In 2012, five NRV teams took part in the sailing competitions. The Paralympics resulted in two silver medals for Germany and the NRV. In Rio 2016, Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel won bronze in the 49er competition. The NRV’s Premier Sailing League team has won the inter-club competition four times in six years.
Team Profile
NRV's crew for the 2019 Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup consists of NRV's national Premier League team, the 4-time national champion, which is supported by skipper Michael Grau. The two girls on the team come from the Club's youth program and are current members of the NRV Olympic team; this team is trying to qualify for the German 470 Olympic spot in 2020. In preparation for this year's IC, the NRV team has held several crew meetings at the NRV clubhouse and has engaged in discussion with NRV board members. Team members have prepared on the national league circuit and during the J/70 international class circuit with skipper Michael Grau. A highlight of this team's preparation was the class's European Championship at Lake Garda.
Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Michael Grau (left) prepares to lead the NRV team as skipper in the 2019 IC after extensive practice with his crew. Grau has raced for just 13 years, but where he lacks in years of experience he makes up for in skill. At the helm, Grau took second place at the 2017 German J/70 Nationals, fourth place at 2018 Nationals, and second place at 2018 Kiel Week in the J/70. Additionally, Grau sailed in the 2018 J/70 Worlds Marblehead where he placed 36th out of 91 boats.
Carsten Kemmling (right), from Hamburg, Germany will be NRV's tactician for this year's IC. Kemmling brings 48 years of racing to the table, and throughout these years he has consistently performed exceedingly well in sailing events all over the world. He won the J/70 Nationals in 2017, placed fourth in the FD Worlds in 1992, and came in seventh during the Laser Worlds in 1996. Kemmling is also a 12-time national champion, a threee-time champion of the German Sailing League, and was ranked twenty-third in the Match Race World Rankings in 2008.
