The owner of the site, the Berlin property company Squadriga Waterfront GmbH, has cancelled the lease agreement with the club - and, according to the RYC board, has so far refused to enter into constructive talks about a long-term solution.
Yacht club characterises Ruhrort water sports scene
The Ruhrort Yacht Club has been shaping the image of the former railway harbour for more than a century. Founded in 1920 as Kanusport Ruhrort, the club with its jetties and boats is an integral part of the local water sports culture. The harbour basin with its connection to the Rhine just behind the mouth of the Ruhr is ideal for mooring boats and offers sheltered moorings in green surroundings.
The club has concrete plans for the future and would like to actively improve and invest in the attractiveness of the railway harbour with its listed industrial architecture, green spaces and large beer garden on the Rhine meadows opposite. Dr Gregor Meder, 1st Chairman of the RYC, explains: "We would like to modernise our club facilities in order to be an attractive port of call for berth holders and guests and also meet the requirements for the Blue Flag environmental symbol. But of course we need planning security for this."
Uncertain future for the traditional club
However, the club now faces eviction if no agreement is reached with the owner of the site. The cancellation of the lease between the two parties is controversial: despite repeated efforts by the yacht club, there have been no real negotiations on the part of the owner company, according to the club's board. Although a meeting was promised in spring 2024, it never took place. Instead, the cancellation followed with the threat of an eviction suit.
Ownership company remains inactive
Even before the company took over the site, other, now insolvent property companies had high-flying plans for the site. However, the Ruhrort Yacht Club was always part of the planning.
The current situation is frustrating for the club members, as Squadriga Waterfront GmbH has not looked after the area for years, the RYC said in a press release. Today, the land is neglected and the banks are in danger of collapsing. Now another resale seems to be on the cards. If the Ruhrort Yacht Club now has to give way, there is the threat of another wasteland in Ruhrort.
Political support for the yacht club
Mahmut Özdemir (SPD), member of the Bundestag, has clearly backed the Ruhrort Yacht Club. He emphasises that the area on the railway basin must be preserved for maritime sports and leisure activities. "We are pleased that the yacht club has brought life to the harbour basin and that it is incurring huge costs to keep the harbour basin usable without a secure legal basis," Özdemir told the club. Therefore, all legal means will be utilised to secure a future for the club.
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The club's chairman, Dr Gregor Meder, is also combative: "We took care of the railway basin, cut back bushes at our own expense and collected rubbish. We also wanted to do more to promote water sports for young people in Ruhrort. But we need a safe location for this." Against this background, the cancellation by Squadriga Waterfront GmbH is particularly incomprehensible, especially as its parent company supposedly wants to promote youth work via the Sarias Foundation.
No fair contract in sight
The current zoning decision, which now also includes the Ruhrort yacht club's land and intends to dedicate the land on the railway basin to sustainability, has obviously not led to the property group entering into talks with the yacht club. Squadriga Waterfront GmbH's offer to the yacht club for a new lease agreement certainly raises questions. The proposal of a one-year term with a notice period of just one month offers the club no planning security whatsoever. In addition, the club is to submit to the cancellation immediately, which would mean a waiver of legal remedies.
For its part, the club had suggested buying the land in order to find a long-term solution. However, this was also clearly rejected: "No interest" was the response from the owner.
Hopes rest on the city
Ultimately, the yacht club's hopes now lie with the city of Duisburg. If the administration succeeds in bringing Squadriga Waterfront GmbH to the negotiating table after all, a sustainable use of the site could be secured. According to the current planning resolution, the area is to be used as a green space - a point that could enable the yacht club to remain there in the long term.
But time is pressing. If no agreement is reached, the Ruhrort Yacht Club is threatened with extinction. And with it, not only a club steeped in tradition will disappear, but also a piece of maritime life from the harbour. What will remain is another neglected wasteland - a fate that must be prevented at all costs.
DMYV supports the Ruhrort Yacht Club
The German Motor Yacht Association also supports its member club: President Frank Dettmering: "These are our neighbours and it is one of the oldest boat clubs in the inland area, which has been committed to boating in Duisburg for over 100 years and was awarded the Federal President's Sports Plaque for this. It's clear that we offer support here."
Torsten Moench
Editor in Chief BOOTE
