​Kieler Woche 2026: A nail-biting finish decides the IDM offshore sailing championship

In the Kiel Week 2026 The International German Inshore Sailing Championship was not decided solely on the course. In the ORC A/B class, the Danish XR 41 ‘Dixi 5’, skippered by Erik Stannow from Helsingør, clinched the title. The ‘Al Capone 2.0’, which had been sailing strongly up to that point, received penalty points following a weigh-in because the crew had exceeded their weight limit.

This gave the final day of the IDM Inshore a special twist. The series comprised nine races over four days and began with the traditional Eel Regatta. The racing took place mainly in a light breeze. In the end, just 2.9 points separated gold and silver in the ORC A/B class.

Second place went to Sönke Meier Sawatzki’s new Cape 31, ‘Niramo’. She won the ORC C/D class with a top international crew and, like ‘Dixi 5’, scored maximum points in the German-Scandinavian Viking Challenge. This year, the new ORC series is also making Kieler Woche a meeting place for strong teams from Northern Europe.

“Dixi 5” seizes its chance on the final day

The “Dixi 5” finished the IDM Inshore in the ORC A/B class with 18 points. Skipper Erik Stannow won the title on his 61st birthday. Among the ten-strong crew was the Danish professional tactician Jesper Radich.

As well as their own consistency, the setback suffered by “Al Capone 2.0” proved decisive. The ‘Fast 40+’, with helmsman Tue Steen Andersen, had looked very strong for a long time, but in the end the crew’s own weight proved to be their undoing. Following a weigh-in, they were awarded penalty points and fell behind ‘Dixi 5’.

Third place in the ORC A/B class went to Lars Hidde’s MAT 1220 ‘Pure’ from Hamburg. Jens Kuphal from Berlin, last year’s runner-up, took fourth place with ‘eXiteR’.

An early start means three races despite high pressure

To ensure that the full programme could still be completed, race director Eckart Reinke brought forward the first start on the final day to 8.30 am. The aim was to make the most of the best wind of the day. The plan worked: despite challenging high-pressure conditions, three races were held.

“Getting up early was worth it – we set sail just before seven,” said Gordon Nickel, project manager and mainsail trimmer on the “Dixi 5”.

For the Danish crew, their success in Kiel also points the way to their next challenges. Nickel said the victory gave them cause for optimism ahead of the European Championships in Klaipėda.

Twelve yachts lined up at the start in the ORC A/B class.

‘Niramo’ wins ORC C/D with a top international crew

In the ORC C/D class, Sönke Meier’s new Cape 31, ‘Niramo’, came out on top. The 59-year-old from Bredenbek had only bought the racer in November and, by his own account, used Kiel Week to fine-tune the boat: to find the right speed, fine-tune the handling and test himself against strong competition.

By winning the title, they exceeded these targets. Among those sailing aboard the ‘Niramo’ were offshore sailing legend Bouwe Bekking and match racing ace Torvar Mirsky. According to the organisers, Sawatzki was the only German in the crew.

From a sporting perspective, this success is doubly interesting. The “Niramo” demonstrated that it can hold its own both under the ORC handicap system and against Cape 31 boats of the same design. Second place in ORC C/D went to the Swedish “Garmin Team Pro4u”, skippered by Patrick Forsgren. Third place went to Johannes Wackerhagen’s “Lil’Desna” from Kiel.

​There were 13 yachts on the starting line in ORC C/D.

On Wednesday, the Double-handed IDM and the Senate Prize will follow

The offshore races are not the end of the offshore sailing programme at Kieler Woche. On Wednesday 24 June, the action continues with the International German Championship for two-man crews and the Senate Prize.

This brings another aspect of lake sailing into the spotlight. Following the fully manned ORC crews, the spotlight now turns to the double-handed teams, where manoeuvres, tactics, navigation and boat speed are all the responsibility of just two people.

At the same time, the medal races in the Olympic classes are coming to a head. Ten German boats are through to the finals of the six Olympic disciplines. The prospects look particularly good in the mixed 470 class, where three German crews occupy the podium places ahead of the final day. In the ILCA 7, Ole Schweckendiek and Philipp Buhl are set to launch an attack from a lying-in-wait position. Kiel Week hosted the Olympic classes for the first time in 2026 with two final medal races scheduled in order to keep the decisions open for longer.

​What does ‘crew weight’ mean in ORC offshore sailing?

In ORC offshore sailing, the declared crew weight forms part of the sporting framework. Additional weight on board can affect a yacht’s performance, for example when sailing on a reach, when the crew sit on the leeward side to act as a ‘counterweight’. This is why weight checks can play a role.

First medallists in the dinghy class

​The strength of youth development in sailing in the USA is demonstrated by the large number of US teams featured on the 420 class winners’ list. Behind Lahrkamp/Morris, who snatched ‘gold’ on the final day, the other medals went to Anna Ulmer and Marin Redmond, as well as Finnegan Grainger and Charlotte Crowley. Four further US pairs featured in the top nine. The highest-placed Germans were Jasper Porthun and Malea Hochbaum from Schwerin, who finished in sixth place.

​Official results of Kiel Week...

A championship that ultimately comes down to the scales: are the strict ORC rules the very essence of fair sailing, or are they too much red tape for the sport? Share your views in the comments.