Hans Spitzauer and Christian Nehammer win the 2026 Eastern Hemisphere Championship of Star boats on Lake Balaton with a series of three race wins and podium finishes in all five rated races. The Austrian duo already wins after the fifth race of the series and forgoes participation in the final sixth race. The regatta from 30 May to 6 June brings 28 teams from eleven nations to Balatonföldvár. German sailors take second place with Daniel Fritz and Jan Eli Gravad and third place with Hubert Merkelbach and Markus Koy. The event is part of the KÉSZ Group Balaton Star Sailing Week and also includes the District 17 Championship, which Spitzauer and Nehammer also won. During the week, Lake Balaton provides extreme conditions from squalls to light winds and tests all facets of Star sailing.
Dramatic start with storm warning for the star boats
The first day of racing begins with thunderstorms and shifting winds, which initially keep the starting field on land. Race Officer Péter Farkas only sends the 31 registered teams out onto the water after the storms have cleared, when a stable north-westerly wind of 16 to 20 knots is established. The race starts shortly after 3 pm and develops into a spectacular start. Spitzauer and Nehammer beat Fritz and Gravad as well as the Canadians Ross MacDonald and George Iverson. The star boats reach speeds of over 15 knots on the final space sheet leg. After the race, the wind freshens to 27 knots, whereupon the race committee orders the fleet back to shore and ends the day.
Three races in ideal conditions
The second day of competition brings a change in the weather with sunshine and stable winds between 10 and 15 knots. After a first cancelled start attempt due to a significant wind shift and decreasing wind, the race committee completes three races. Spitzauer and Nehammer win the first race of the day and extend their lead. Merkelbach and Koy win the second race, while the Croatians Marin Misura and Tonko Barać win the third race. The fleet spends almost seven hours on the water. "We had a very challenging day with three races in tricky conditions," says Spitzauer. "We won the first race, came second in the next and crossed the finish line first in the third before receiving a jury penalty that dropped us back to third place. Overall, we are very happy with our performance."
German teams in the battle for the podium places
Daniel Fritz and Jan Eli Gravad sail a remarkably consistent series on the second day and secure second place overall. "We had a very solid and consistent day, and that's what you need in a championship like this," explains Fritz. "The conditions weren't easy, but our boat speed was good and that helped us get out of some difficult situations. Lake Balaton really delivered today - from 10 to 12 knots in the early morning to lighter conditions in the afternoon." Merkelbach and Koy work their way up to third place overall with their win on the day. "The race was very tactical and required constant concentration," says Merkelbach about his victory. "Together with my crew Markus, we were able to win the second race of the day, which was particularly satisfying because it came after a hard-fought duel on a challenging course." Fritz and Gravad also secured the title as the best U30 team in the Starboat Championship.
Perfect finale with classic south-west
The final day brings the classic south-westerly wind for which Lake Balaton is known. In bright sunshine and stable 8 to 11 knots with gentle oscillations of around 10 degrees, the fleet sailed two races. Spitzauer and Nehammer secured the title by winning the fifth race of the series and decided not to take part in the sixth and final race. The Canadians MacDonald and Iverson are tied on points with Merkelbach and Koy in fourth place. The best Hungarian team is the home team of Tibor Tenke and Miklós Bezeréti from the Spartacus Sailing Club in eighth place. The event ends with the award ceremony and a gala dinner in Balatonföldvár.
Four decades of experience on European lakes
Hans Spitzauer attributes his success to decades of experience on European inland lakes. The former Finn world champion and two-time Olympic fourth and fifth place winner in the Star class has been sailing on Lake Balaton for 40 years. "I came here for the first time when I was 21 years old, at the Finn Youth European Championship," says Spitzauer. "Lake Neusiedl in Austria, where I sail most of the time, is very similar. These European lakes are completely different from the sea. You have to read the wind, constantly take advantage of the turns and avoid unnecessary risks on both sides of the course. If there's a secret, that's probably it." The Starboat is a classic two-man keelboat that has been sailed since 1911 and was an Olympic discipline from 1932 to 2012.
Results
- 1st Hans Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer (AUT)
- 2nd Daniel Fritz / Jan Eli Gravad (GER)
- 3rd Hubert Merkelbach / Markus Koy (GER)
- 4th Ross MacDonald / George Iverson (CAN)
- 5th Marin Misura / Vedran Barać (CRO)
- 8th Tibor Tenke / Miklós Bezeréti (HUN)
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Fridtjof Gunkel
Deputy Chief Editor YACHT
