Nautical Dreams

A love of sailing inspires Wolfgang Bierer to bring Members together on the water.

When Member Wolfgang Bierer was 12 years old, his dad brought home a 5-meter-long windsurfing board and sparked a lifelong interest in the water.

With no schools around, father and son learned to windsurf together, teaching themselves. “That’s when I got the bug,” he recalls.

As a university student in his native Germany, Bierer would often visit southern France to windsurf. When he came to Japan, he left those lake trips behind. But once he had children of his own, he wanted to do something back on the water.

Almost by accident, Bierer was introduced in 2012 to the Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS). The only USPS squadron outside the US and Puerto Rico, the group is dedicated to promoting recreational boating skills and safety through education, hands-on training and civic activities.

This March, Bierer will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his strategic business consulting company in Japan, and during that time he has become very involved in sailing while collaborating with the Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron and Sailability Tokyo, a nonprofit that promotes sailing to the public.

Last spring, he began discussing the formation of a sailing group at the Club. Bierer knows at least 10 other Members who own boats and envisions a sailing group similar to the Club’s golf group, with regular outings, such as day cruises in Tokyo Bay.

The plan has synergy with the Nihonbashi Club’s Salty Sailors special interest group.

Bierer is also aiming to give kids and adults hands-on sailing experiences.

“Being a boat owner, and being related to Sailability Tokyo, I have access to dinghies. I would like to provide intro courses in spring and summer to Members interested in sailing,” he explains. “And if there are sailors who already have experience, I can take them out on my boat to simply enjoy sailing together.”

Wolfgang Bierer

To help Members learn about sailing, Bierer proposes a trial course that would begin with a morning classroom session at the Club, where Members can learn sailboat vocabulary as well as basic knot-tying skills and safety rules. Then the group would move to Sailability’s location near Toyosu Station.

When heading out on the water, safety comes first, says Bierer. “We have automatic inflatable safety vests, so there is no danger. I’m a former lifeguard, so I’m very strict about safety rules.”

By planting and nurturing the seeds of sailing at the Club, Bierer hopes to help others find a passion for something that has brought him so many wonderful memories, such as winning the 2024 Hayama International Friendship Regatta with the German team. The event, formerly known as the Embassy Cup, brought sailors from nine nations together to race 11 boats.

But perhaps even grander last year was spending his 20th wedding anniversary on the water. “We charted a catamaran in Fiji and went hopping from one uninhabited island to the next. This is something I could envision for my retirement, having access to a catamaran in a nice warm location and going diving every day.”