Federal performance center

The “home” of all sailors is in Neusiedl

The BLZ for sailing and surfing in Neusiedl am See.(Bild: OeSV/Dominik Matesa)

The Federal Performance Center in Neusiedl am See, which opened in 2003, is the breeding ground for red-white-red sailing success. This is where everything comes together, where the athletes feel at home, where they meet to train, exchange ideas and analyze, and where they hone their equipment and tactics with professional resources.

Almost all year round, the best sailors and surfers are literally scattered across the seven seas. "This makes it all the more important to have a home base where you feel comfortable, where you can exchange ideas, analyze, develop or even maintain your equipment," says Matthias Schmid, Sports Director of the Austrian Sailing Association.

Without the federal performance center and the intensive cooperation of everyone, we would have no chance as a small landlocked country in the sport of sailing.

OeSV-Sportdirektor Matthias SCHMID

Matthias Schmid, Sports Director of the Austrian Sailing Federation.(Bild: OeSV/Dominik Matesa)

Since 2003, the federation has had just such a home with the federal performance center for sailing and surfing in Neusiedl am See. Financed by the federal government, the province of Burgenland and the municipality of Neusiedl.

In Neusiedl, the athletes and the association have everything in one place.(Bild: OeSV/Dominik Matesa)

Three Olympic medals were "prepared"here - gold and silver for Roman Hagara/Hans Peter Steinacher and Andi Geritzer in Athens in 2004, bronze for Tom Zajac/Tanja Frank in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

All of the federation's equipment is stored and maintainedhere.

The facilities and equipment for video analysis and development work using state-of-the-art technology are locatedhere.

The Austrian Olympic squad has its basehere and also meets the sailors of the junior squad, which supports the premise manifested in the "intergenerational contract", according to which we as a small landlocked country can only be successful together.

Valentin Bontus, who came fourth in the World Championships, is already looking forward to the Olympics.(Bild: OeSV)

High-flyer Bontus
The latest development of Valentin Bontus is a "product" of the targeted joint work of the association and athletes. Just over a year ago, the kite surfer from the Podersdorf Yacht Club was still a blank slate on the international scene, but as fourth in the World Championships, he has long since established himself among the world's best. "On the outside, he's the cool, laid-back surfer, but he's extremely determined and ready to implement the common strategies," says Schmid, praising the 23-year-old, who is probably Burgenland's hottest potato in the Olympic fire.

Bontus has practically always finished in the top 6 recently.(Bild: Sailing Energy / Princesa Sofia Mallorca)

Who knows, maybe he will bring home the next medal when the globetrotters meet in Neusiedl for the "Oylmpic Summit" with joint activities, as they do every year in December.

A ticket for the Games is still up for grabs
Unlike kite-foiler Bontus, in the Nacra 17 class the national ticket that Lukas Haberl and Tanja Frank won with fourth place at last year's European Championships is not yet synonymous with a ticket to the Olympics. Because with Laura Farese and Matthäus Zöchling from UYC Neusiedler See, there is a second strong red-white-red boat in the class.

(Bild: OeSV | Dominik Matesa )

Starting signal for the Nacra 17 World Championships
The World Championships starting on Tuesday in La Grande-Motte in the south of France should bring light into the darkness. The conditions in the last two weeks did not allow for optimal preparation. "We had 'survival conditions' across the board, only strong wind days - and it was very cold. But we got a feel for the area," says Frank from Neusiedl confidently - and is hoping for a top 10 result!

(Bild: OeSV | Dominik Matesa )

"Thanks to the strong European Championship, they are of course ahead in the internal qualification, so the others will have to deliver," says OeSV sports director Matthias Schmid. Which is what the two 23-year-olds intend to do. "This is our most important event this year. We will do everything we can to be successful," says Zöchling. If they deliver - as required - "properly", an even more important regatta will follow in the summer...