The first day of racing at the 2026 European Championship delivered exactly what the fleet came for. Three races were scheduled for every fleet across all three classes, and the Baltic served up a full day of tough, exhausting — and brilliant — racing.
The Nacra 17s were first out, followed by the 49erFX fleets, and both classes banked all three scheduled races. The conditions demanded everything from the sailors, but the verdict coming off the water was unanimous: great breeze, pretty flat water, and quite shifty as the wind came from shore.
The 49ers headed out at 13:00 — just as the wind decided to pick up. With gusts hitting 34 knots at times, and after a series of postponements and abandonments, the men’s fleets managed to complete two races before the race committee called it a day. To make up for lost time, the 49ers will be the first fleets out tomorrow morning, with four races on the schedule.
In the Nacra 17 fleet, Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman of the Netherlands topped the leaderboard with an impressive score of 2, 1, 1 for just 4 points, establishing themselves as the team to beat. They have been showing their progress regatta after regatta and backed it up in the best possible way today.
Sweden’s Emil Järudd and Hanna Jonsson sit in second on 11 points (4, 5, 2) while Australia’s Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman are in third with scores of 3, 3, 7. Compatriots Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown sit fourth after opening the championship with a race win.
In the 49erFX class, Italy’s Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi lead with a score of 7, 1, 1 for 9 points, showcasing their strong return to skiff racing after Germani’s stint with the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team.
Germany’s Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille are just one point behind in second, kicking off the championship with a bullet. Britain’s Freya Black and Saskia Tidey sit third on 13 points (8, 1, 4), aiming for a European Championship title.
The 49er fleets saw Ireland’s Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove tied with Uruguay’s Hernán Umpierre and Fernando Diz, both on 3 points after two races, with Britain’s James Grummett and Rhos Hawes closely trailing on 4 points.
Day 2 promises to be exciting with four races scheduled for the 49ers, as sailors look forward to more challenging conditions.
#BalticChampionship #Nacra17Sailing #49erSailing
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