One of our goals is to establish an exchange program for young sailors between Kiel/Schleswig-Holstein and San Francisco.

Young people from both Bay Areas should have the opportunity to visit the respective twin city, live with host families for one to two weeks and sail with their peers. We want to create a basis for long-term friendships through the time spent together and shared experiences, because we know that the city partnership between San Francisco and Kiel lives above all through the personal connections between the people on both sides.

During our networking trip to San Francisco, we, together with Eva-Maria Zeiske and Greta-Sophie Strauß from Kiel-Marketing, spoke with Tom Kowalski, who has been involved in the youth program at the Sausalito Yacht Club for many years, and with Felix Weidling, who is currently Race Director at the St. Francis Yacht Club after his time at the Kiel Yacht Club. Both are very interested in an exchange program.

The next step is to examine the possibilities for implementation in Kiel / Schleswig-Holstein. We are currently in talks with the first sailing clubs.