Martijn van Muyden, from The Netherlands, has won the 2026 Open Finn European Championship in Gdynia, Poland after three final races were sailed on Saturday. Defending champion, Valerian Lebrun, from France, won two of the races to finish second, with Peter Peet, also from The Netherlands, in third. Poland’s Michał Krasodomski placed fourth and secured the U29 Finn European Championship.
After two days without racing, conditions on Saturday appeared challenging; however, the race officer decided to start early, which resulted in three races being completed in 8-15 knots of wind, albeit with shifty offshore conditions.
In Race 4, Lebrun led initially, but Van Muyden took the lead on the second upwind with a significant shift from the shore. Lebrun regained the lead on the run and won, followed by Van Muyden and Krasodomski.
Race 5 saw Lebrun again take the lead after starting downwind, managing to hold off the competition to win from Spain’s Jordi Tur Casado and Peter Peet. This race saw Peet temporarily take the overall lead.
For race 6, the course was repositioned closer to shore to find the optimal wind. Hungary’s Elemer Haidekker initially led, but Finland’s Mikkio Tiilikka took control on the final upwind to secure victory, with Haidekker finishing third.
Michał Krasodomski excelled to win the U29 title, expressing his excitement about achieving his goal to finish in the top three overall. He initially aimed to place in the top 15 but adjusted his expectations after the first day.
Van Muyden, who has been sailing Finns for a decade after a long break, celebrated his first major international title, highlighting the challenging conditions faced during the competition.
The event showcased strong camaraderie among sailors, with many notable competitors failing to make the top ten, allowing for fresh names to emerge. The Polish Yachting Federation and the Gdynia sailing base staff received thanks for their support.
Next for the Finns is the European Masters at Mar Menor in October, promising to be a significant event.
Final results after six races:
1 NED 60 Martijn Van Muyden 37
2 FRA 111 Valerian Lebrun 38
3 NED 148 Peter Peet 42
4 POL 77 Michał Krasodomski 44
5 NED 29 Bas De Waal 56
6 CZE 54 Matouš Červenka 56
7 HUN 50 Akos Lukats 58
8 HUN 911 Elemer Haidekker 62
9 POL 13 Tadeusz Bartlewski 63
10 FRA 75 Laurent Hay 64
U29 Results:
1 (4) POL 77 Michał Krasodomski 44
2 (17) FIN 235 Lars Habermacher 99
3 (20) POL 33 Miłosz Michalak 106
4 (27) GER 181 Niclas Perband 130
5 (33) GBR 64 Cameron Tweedle 161
Results here: https://events.pya.org.pl/open-finn-european-championship-2026,e152
Gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/55360099519/in/album-72177720334412571
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