Eye of the Wind Flensburg Rum Regatta EYE26/14a

Embark	Disembark	Vessel	Duration	Voyage No
Sat 16-05-2026, 10:00Flensburg, Germany	Sun 17-05-2026, 09:00Flensburg, Germany	Eye of the Wind	1 Nights	EYE26/14a

Voyage Description

A crowd of traditional sailing ships rafted up together in the historic German town of Flensburg for the annual Rum Regatta

Flensburg’s Rum Regatta

This historic seafaring and harbour town will be geared up for its annual Rum Regatta, a gathering of over 100 ships from around the Baltic and beyond. Flensburg has an age-old association with rum, local ships having been forefront in collecting rum from Danish-run distilleries in the Caribbean. If you love classic boats, maritime heritage and a nice tipple, you’ll have a fabulous time!

The organisers of the Regatta keep things very light-hearted, funny and fun. Anyone taking the racing too seriously is the subject of much derision!

Step aboard Eye of the Wind in the morning and enjoy a welcome coffee with your fellow sailors for the day. The ship then sets a course along the green banks of the Flensburg Fjord, where a suitable spot will be chosen to anchor for lunch, with a prime view of the racing.

Don’t miss the subsequent ‘prize-giving ceremony’ ashore. This creative and comical event is the secret highlight of every Regatta here.

Stay Aboard Eye of the Wind

Relax after a day on the water with dinner and an overnight stay on board in an air-conditioned cabin. Enjoy a delicious breakfast the following morning, as Flensburg slowly comes back (somewhat groggily!) to life, before stepping ashore.

WINDS, WAVES & WEATHER

The Flensburg Fjord is pretty sheltered, so conditions are likely to make for very pleasant. This time of year winds tend to average 10 to 15 knots (Force 3 to 4), although you can see spells of stronger winds, up to about Force 6. It’s Spring, so expect largely bright and sunny skies, but there’s certainly a chance of it being overcast and drizzly too, at least at times.

A NOTE ON VOYAGE DESCRIPTIONS

On a sailing voyage we never use the word itinerary, as skippers will always be aiming for the best and safest sailing routes for the forecast. They are as keen as you to include some of the highlights described above, but when it comes to sailing, you have to go with Mother Nature, not fight her. The description provided is based on what we think might be possible, based on past trips, or prior experience, but nothing is guaranteed on a sailing voyage. As such, the scheduled joining ports, routes, activities and/or destinations may be altered. Due to the complexities of weather systems, this may be at very short notice.

HANDS ON HOLIDAYS

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner, the professional crew will train you to be guest crew from the moment you arrive, with the intention that everybody works together to sail the ship. The common thread to all Classic Sailing holidays is ‘Hands on’ participation on ships that use ropes, blocks and tackles and ‘people power’ to set sail. For more on this, see our article ‘What is a Hands-On Sailing Holiday?’

SAILING STYLE & LIFE ON BOARD

We cater for a wide range of ages and physical abilities and how much you are expected to do varies a bit between vessels. See the vessel tab above which explains all about the ‘sailing style’ and what to expect in terms of hands on participation. There is a lot of information about day to day life, the ships facilities and accommodation on the vessel pages.

Start & End Port

Flensburg, Germany

On Ascension Day every year this seafaring city celebrates its history as one of the most important commercial ports for the sailing ships of the East Indies fleet with the Annual Rum Sailing Regatta. In the18th Century merchant ships would make regular cargo runs to the West Indies and bring back rum. It has always been a lively sailors port with cobbled streets and over 200 ‘rum houses’ in its day. Perhaps not so wild today but it will see a gathering of surviving wooden sailing ships arrive together and moor along the waterfront.

Square rigger Eye of the Wind is one of the vessels participating and you can join her in Kiel and sail here with the fleet.

Kit List

What to pack for a sailing holiday on the Eye of the Wind

Working Language on Board is German and English

Practical Advice for Eye of the Wind

Practical Advice for Covid 19 and Eye of the Wind

What is Included

Sailing Instruction
All meals to include refreshments throughout the day
Duvet, pillow and sheets
Hand towels

What is not Included

Waterproof jackets and trousers
Alcoholic drinks but there is a bar on board
Any entry visas required

What to Bring

Suitcases take up a lot of room in a cabin, so it is better to uses soft bags in a ship. A small rucksack for going ashore is useful.

Eye of the Wind does not supply waterproof jackets and salopette type trousers. Please bring your own waterproof clothing.
A mix of warm and wind proof clothing.
Lots of thin layers is better than one thick layer in cold destinations.
In tropical countries - long sleeves and long trousers to protect you from the sun
Footwear on board needs a good grip and soft soles- the decks are wood or steel.
Ashore stout, waterproof walking boots are best if you are in remote places.
Eye of the Wind has electric sockets in all the cabins 240 V
Cameras, spare batteries, chargers if you need them
Binoculars are handy for bird watching etc.
Suntan lotion, hats, sunglasses
Dont forget any regular medication, persciption glasses and spare
Euros for bar bill
Passport, travel insurance, tickets etc
To get ashore is usually by dinghy so be prepared to get wet feet. Rubber boots or quick drying sandals - depending on the location.
The ship provides hand towels but please bring a beach towel
snorkel and mask for caribbean if you like snorkelling (travel tip: swimming goggles pack up smaller than a facemask)
Bring insect repellant for Caribbean as can get mosquitos ashore in evening (rare at anchor)
ear plugs can be handy

Electricity

All the power to your plug sockets comes from the ship's generator which runs on deisel. The less the generators have to run to top up power, the nicer it is for the guests on board and also greener for the planet. Please don't bring loads of hairdriers, electric devices to charge.

There is no internet on board whilst at sea.

Review

Hello all at Classic

The trip went very well and was a great experience.

Everything was very well done, great captain, crew and guests.

Sea shanty singing lead by Matthew from the King's Pond Shantymen!
Best wishes, Bob. Eye of the Wind, Cadiz to the Canary Islands November 2024

A fabulous adventure! Words cannot convey the experience.
John, Tortola to Bermuda

Tortola to the Azores! What a great time. Thanks to Captain Pit and the crew. An awesome adventure with awesome people!"
F Coutreau

What a wonderful, lovely, great, awesome trip we've had from Malaga to Lanzarote! I loved and enjoyed every minute.

Thanks again for this wonderful experience. I miss you guys!
Andrea

Now that was a voyage! The EYE crew - all 10 - five women and five men - embody two words:

COMPETENT and KIND

And such a beautiful ship. Thank you beyond measure
Susan

Vessel Gallery

With red sails against a blue sky, Eye of the Wind is a photogenic ship. If you have any new images we would love to see them since Eye of the Wind has only recently returned to our website.