​Travemünde Week 2026: 17 international titles and ten days of Baltic Sea spectacle

Sports Director Jens Kath leaves no doubt as to the significance of this year’s event: “Compared with 2025, the number of entries for Travemünde Week has almost tripled.” The programme features 26 competitions, including World Championships, European Championships, a German Open and a North German Championship. To accommodate this massive programme, Kath and race director Anderl Denecke have designated ten regatta courses – managed by the organising teams from the Lübeck Yacht Club, the NRV Hamburg, the Zurich Yacht Club and the Berlin Yacht Club.

Long-distance race to kick off the event, skiff spectacle on the first morning

The offshore long-distance race kicks off the sporting programme: immediately following the opening ceremony on Friday 17 July, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister for Social Affairs, Aminata Touré, will send the sailors on their way by waving the state flag. The race will continue through the night and around Fehmarn.

From Saturday morning, 18 July, the first dinghy and skiff classes will kick off their European Championships. In the fast-paced two-person RS 500 skiff class, the favourites hail from Italy and Great Britain – including the British runners-up at the 2025 World Championships, Paul Cullen and Fresh Abendstern. In the RS 700, where solo sailors hang from trapezes on narrow outriggers whilst juggling the mainsail and gennaker, defending champion Rob Higgins from England will be defending his continental title. The RS 800 promises to be just as spectacular: the two-person skiffs fly across the course in a double trapeze under a gennaker.

Inclusion at the very highest level: Jazz Turner and Jens Kroker

One of the most moving stories of the week is that of the inclusive RS Venture Connect class. The boats, fitted with bucket seats, enable even people with severe physical disabilities to compete. Jazz Turner, a 27-year-old British woman with a spinal cord injury, has already won two World Championship medals in this class and last year, he sailed solo around the British Isles in an 8.25-metre yacht within four weeks. In Travemünde, she will compete under the Grenadian flag alongside Justen Bersin.

Jens Kroker will be competing for Germany – Germany’s most successful Paralympic sailor, with one gold and two silver medals at the Paralympic Games in the Sonar class. He is sailing with Malden Scheffler, who was born with only one hand and competes in various sports. Among the field of 23 pairs, Kroker will also be up against his former gold-medal partner Siegmund Mainka, who has been sailing with Jürgen Brietzke for years.

Folkeboats, RS Fevas and the grand final

From Tuesday 21 July, the Nordic Folkeboats will take to the water. The Gold Cup, the class’s most prestigious trophy and unofficial world championship, will be contested for the tenth time in Travemünde in 2026. The cup, weighing one kilogramme, was donated in 1963 by Senator Alfred Hagelstein from Lübeck. The Dane Søren Kæstel is chasing his seventh title in Travemünde, whilst his compatriots Per Buch and Per Hovmark have each won three Gold Cups. Representing Germany is Ulf Kipcke with a crew from Kiel – a two-time Gold Cup winner (2000 and 2015), both times on German waters.

Midweek, from 22 July, the RS Feva class will take centre stage. With 141 registered crews from 19 nations, this youth class is the largest individual field in the entire event. The British make up the strongest fleet with 44 boats. The four German boats, by contrast, make for a modest showing – but new medallists are guaranteed in any case, as the top three finishers from 2025 have now outgrown the class. More about the Travemünde Week and the area around Travemünde can be found in the ‘Revier-Porträt’ section on yacht.de.

The championship programme concludes with the RS21, RS 200, RS 400 and RS Vareo classes, which will crown their European champions on Sunday 26 July. At the same time, the Dragons will be competing for the North German Championship from 23 July – for many teams, a taster of the 2027 class’s Gold Cup. A complete overview of all the title races and background information on the event can be found in the YACHT’s preview of Travemünde Week 2026.

Trave Races, the Rotspon Cup and laser shows for visitors

Anyone attending Travemünde Week as a spectator gets an unusually close-up view of top-class sport. Every day at around 5 pm, right in front of the promenade, the Trave Races Instead: four to eight crews will compete in thrilling exhibition races on a tight course, with expert commentary and a close connection to the audience. On Wednesday 22 July, the Trave will become a political arena: At the Volksbank Rotspon Cup Mayor Jan Lindenau is taking on State Parliament President Kristina Herbst – the prize is honour and an Impériale bottle of Rotspon.

Away from the water, the festival takes place in the area between Tornadowiese, Nordermole and Bertlingstraße. Amongst others, former Genesis frontman Ray Wilson and Alex Christensen and Friends will be performing on the König-Pilsener stage. The latter is stepping in for the band Frida Gold, who had to cancel for health reasons. In the Brügmanngarten, cover bands such as ABBA Fever will be performing, whilst at the Nordermole, two beach clubs will be ensuring long nights of partying.

For families, 21 July is marked on the calendar as Children’s and Family Day: special offers, a children’s disco, a hands-on circus and a beach soccer tournament on the beach await young and old alike. The Ferris wheel White Wheel It runs right along the Kurstrand and offers the most sweeping view across Lübeck Bay.

Once the sun has set, the Passat laser shows from Monday to Saturday at around 10.45 pm. The event will conclude with a grand fireworks display on 26 July.

The full festival programme...

Have you ever been to the “TraWo” festival? Is it worth travelling to Travemünde for it? Please let us know in the comments.