Pure watersports! The fascination of Patin sailing

Steering is done by moving and shifting your weight. “When I move forward on the boat, it goes to windward. If I move backwards, it falls off”, explains Andreas Bredendiek. “If I want to luff, all I have to do is bend forward. For a major change of course, I have to move further forward or backwards. If I want to make a turn I move forward, about as far as the shrouds. As soon as the boat is through the wind, I move to the leeward hull and keep the sail back until it’s completely filled. Then I can go back to the neutral position on the sail and let the sail flip over.”

The cat is 18 feet long, but only 1.60 meters wide. “This makes it easy to get the Patin on one skid. Which makes it the perfect light-wind boat,” says Andreas Bredendiek. As the Patin has no rudder or centreboard, you can sail equally safely in the shallows or in high waves.

The Patin a Vela is a good choice for everyone. Just raise the sails and off you go. There’s no other boat that gets you out on the water so quickly. In no time at all, professionals and beginners alike learn more about sailing than on any other boat. The Patin reacts to even the smallest adjustment. On the Patin beginners quickly get a feel for the wind and waves. Professionals enjoy the speed and find the right pressure point and balance for maximum speed in no time.

Andreas Bredendiek offers Patin sailing at Königshütte Lake, not far from Düsseldorf. Depending on your level of skill, you can go out on the water alone, with a coach on board or with a second Patin by your side. Flat water, low waves and a large meadow for your starting and landing point: Königshütte Lake is a small area and therefore ideal for trying out Patin sailing.