For the ninth time since 2013, the Seamaster Award was presented at the Flagship Night at boot in Düsseldorf. Greats such as Loïck Peyron, Jimmy Spithill, Clarisse Crémer, François Gabart, Carolijn Brouwer and "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper Boris Herrmann have already won the award.
The Seamaster 2023 brings its most successful Opti sailor with it
Ten years after the premiere, the Ukrainian Opti coach Pavlo Dontsov was honoured at the boot maritime kick-off gala on Saturday evening. For one minute, hundreds of guests celebrated the 29-year-old coach from the "Opti Sailing Team Ukraine" with a standing ovation. Many had heard about the group with the spirited coach and their activities in the past year. Pavlo Dontsov had come to Düsseldorf with the 15-year-old Ukrainian top opti sailor Sviatoslav Madonich and his father Slava Madonich to be honoured.
Flashback: When Russia attacked Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Pavlo Dontsov was in Valencia for training with a group of young Ukrainian Opti sailors. It was supposed to be a carefree few days of sport. The Ukrainian Opti team and their coach had planned to spend a training camp and regatta starts in Europe.
There for the children when war broke out at home
Then everything changed. When Pavlo Dontsov learnt of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he kept the group of children and young people together as a coach. The parents had asked him not to return to Ukraine with the group. Pavlo Dontsov devoted himself as a matter of course to the task of looking after the group for months. He received support from the Madonich parents.
"Pavlo did not bring the children back to the war-torn country, but took responsibility and did everything for them to save them from the suffering and pain that prevailed in Ukraine. Despite all the uncertainties, he wanted to give his young athletes the opportunity to continue sailing and defend their country's honour at regattas," said laudator Anastasiya Winkel, Kieler Woche winner, Olympic and World Championship sixth in the 470.
Seamaster Pavlo Dontsov and laudator Anastasiya Winkel know each other from the past
Anastasiya Winkel grew up in Ukraine, now lives in Germany and is married to Malte Winkel. Together, the helmsman and his foresailor are currently one of the strongest German 470 mixed teams on course for the 2024 Olympics. Anastasiya Winkel knows Pavlo Dontsov from their youth. They once sailed against each other in regattas. She, who herself has helped more than 70 refugees from Ukraine to find a place to stay in Germany, admires Pavlo Dontsov for his commitment. "We are all very proud of you," said Anastasiya Winkel on stage at the Flagship Night.
When the Ukrainian Opti group ran out of money last year, it was carried by a wave of international willingness to help. Gintare and Robert Scheidt were among the first sailors to actively help the uprooted team. The two-time Olympic medallist and the two-time Olympic champion have children of their own who sail Optimists. Their older son Erik is friends with Sviatoslav.
The Scheidt family helped their Ukrainian sailing friends
The Scheidts launched a fundraising campaign for the Dontsov team. German sailing clubs and Opti families also helped. With this support and many friendly offers of help from European regatta organisers and hosts, the group was able to continue travelling through Europe in the summer and autumn of 2022. The core of the group has not yet returned home. The young sailors continue to draw attention to the war situation in their home country with campaigns.
For example, they confronted Roman Abramovich's mega yacht "Solaris" as it entered Bodrum with a small inflatable boat and "No War" flags in peaceful protest. The images of the highly symbolic battle between David and Goliath went around the world. What is less well known is that the Turkish coastguard then took the group to the local police station. Pavlo Dontsov and his group were informed that their action was illegal. At the same time, however, the Turkish law enforcement officers signalled their sympathy with the Ukrainians, who got off with a warning.
Pavlo Dontsov was not only an important ambassador in and for water sports last year. His name and that of the "Opti Sailing Team Ukraine" stand for cohesion, peace and friendship and also for the fact that sport can set an example against war. Pavlo Dontsov said in Düsseldorf: "It is a great honour to be here tonight. After a lot of work, it's a great feeling to receive such an echo."
"Our small team is a good example for the big Ukraine"
Pavlo Dontsov continued in his speech: "Since the start of the war, our sporting results are no longer so important. It is more important to let people know what is happening in Ukraine. Our small team is a good example for the big Ukraine. The help we receive as a team in Europe and from all of you is also received by Ukraine."
However, according to Pavlo Dontsov, everything is based on the strength and courage of the people who are now in Ukraine: "Soldiers and volunteers are defending Ukraine. Unfortunately, they are dying in the process. As a coach of young sailors, I want to talk more about the children in Ukraine. They are trying to live their lives. But they also continue to die. We can no longer teach some of them to sail. But things will change. Of course we believe that Ukraine will win."
You can support Pavlo and the Ukrainian Opti sailors now!
BOOTE and YACHT have launched a fundraising campaign together with Anastasiya Winkel and her club, the Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein Hamburg. Join us in helping the young sailors and their coach. Every contribution counts!
You can contribute via the NRV Foundation's donation account at Hamburger Sparkasse:
Recipient: NRV Foundation
IBAN: DE20 2005 0550 1501 0093 91
BIC: HASPDEHHXXX
Purpose: Pavlo Dontsov and the Ukrainian Opti sailors
It is also possible to donate directly online via the NRV Foundation website. This can be done easily and conveniently by credit card or PayPal: Online donation for the NRV Foundation (please click here!)
Thank you very much for your support, which directly benefits the sailors and their coach!
