Aspire (POL 17, Przemek Gacek, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Kilian Weise) has won the 5.5 Metre World Championship in Lavrion, Greece, after a week of challenging conditions. Artemis (NOR 57, Kristoffer Spone, Trond Solli Sæther, Anders Pedersen) takes second place, with Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66/USA, Jay Cross, Rob Scrivenor, Andrew Palfrey) securing third after a strong final day. The race wins were claimed by Ku-Ring-Gai III and Aspire.
For the first time during the week, the racing commenced on schedule, with a respectable 8-10 knot southerly wind for the final two races. Ku-Ring-Gai III led Race 7, pulling away to victory, while Aspire recovered from a lacklustre start to finish third. Points leader Artemis struggled in mid-fleet, finishing eighth.
Heading into the last race, Aspire and Artemis were just one point apart, intensifying the competition. Aspire found their stride, taking the lead and remaining unchallenged. Although Artemis rounded the mark in fourth and moved up to second, it was insufficient to claim the title.
The battle for third place was equally gripping, with Ku-Ring-Gai III narrowly overtaking Ali-Baba (SUI 224, Flavio Marazzi, Julie Marazzi, Eline Marazzi) to claim bronze, finishing just one point behind after a race win.
Kusznierewicz remarked, “It’s a great feeling to be world champions. We put our heart and a lot of effort into it. It’s a fantastic feeling; we respect our rivals greatly.” Gacek added, “We waited a long time to start sailing, but the last three days were rewarding.” Weise noted the intensity of the competition, stating, “It was all about teamwork, and we pushed ourselves to improve.”
Despite six days lost to strong winds, eight successful races determined the world title, showcasing the resilience of the teams involved. The next championship will be hosted in Glucksburg, northern Germany, for the Scandinavian Gold Cup and World Championship.
Final results after 8 races:
1. Aspire (POL 17, Przemek Gacek, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Kilian Weise) 16
2. Artemis (NOR 57, Kristoffer Spone, Trond Solli Sæther, Anders Pedersen) 18
3. Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66/USA, Jay Cross, Rob Scrivenor, Andrew Palfrey) 27
4. Ali-Baba (SUI 224, Flavio Marazzi, Julie Marazzi, Eline Marazzi) 28
5. Girls on Film (GBR 41, Louise Morton, Charlie Cumbley, Sam Haines) 32
Results here: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/13684/event/
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Event website here: https://5.5classworlds2026.ycg.gr/
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