On the way to the regatta Two sailors drowned in Lake Constance
The conditions for the "Regatta of the Iron" on Lake Constance are challenging. Now a boat has capsized on the way to the race. There is no trace of the sailors and the regatta has been canceled.
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- Two sailors drowned in Lake Constance on Saturday night. They were on their way to the "Regatta of the Iron".
- Their boat had previously capsized. The two men were recovered dead from the water off Münsterlingen TG on Saturday.
- The "Regatta of the Iron Men" traditionally takes place on Lake Constance off Constance.
This article was last comprehensively updated at 17:21.
Two sailors drowned in Lake Constance on Saturday night. Their ship had previously capsized. The two men were recovered dead from the water off Münsterlingen TG on Saturday.
The men were on their way from Friedrichshafen in Germany to Constance when the accident occurred, according to the Thurgau cantonal police on Saturday. When they did not arrive at their destination as expected, the two were initially reported missing to the German police.
According to the information provided, the search operation that was subsequently launched was initially unsuccessful. However, on Saturday morning, the Thurgau cantonal police emergency call center received a report that a capsized sailing boat was drifting in the water off Landschlacht.
The missing men were finally located at midday on Saturday, the police wrote. The men are two Germans aged 38 and 39.
The Kreuzlingen public prosecutor's office opened proceedings to clarify the circumstances of the accident.
According to a report by the German news agency DPA, the two men wanted to take part in the "Regatta of the Iron" in Constance. The event was already canceled by the organizers on Saturday morning.
Wintry conditions
The "Regatta of the Irons" traditionally takes place on Lake Constance off the coast of Constance. At its premiere in 1975, only a few boats took part - according to the organizers, it is now one of the largest inland regattas in Europe. On average, more than 220 boats from Germany, Austria and Switzerland take part every year.
Some sailors put on a Santa Claus costume for the regatta - or put a Christmas tree on deck. At this time of year, participants sometimes have to contend with driving snow, icy decks and fog during the race. According to the regatta director, the water temperature of Lake Constance is currently around eight degrees.
dpa