The fourth day of the regatta marked the major turning point for the Travemünde Week 2026. Five championships were decided, whilst seven new world championships got under way. With over 900 boats entered and more than 1,500 sailors, this is the most packed TW programme in years.
RS Tera: A British one-two with a Ukrainian exclamation mark
Eight races, four days, all weather conditions from squalls to light winds: the RS Tera Class World Championships really put the young sailors through their paces. In the Sport category, Freddie Harrison from the Cumard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight took gold, just one point ahead of Harry Wilson. Aggie Priestley from the Ullswater Yacht Club secured bronze in the overall standings and the girls’ gold. The boys’ podium was an all-British affair. “It feels great; the sailing was fun,” said Harrison after the prize-giving ceremony.
In the Pro category, Charlie Hunt from Southampton also secured victory by a margin of just one point. Behind him, Hari Clark and Oleksandr Chykalov from Ukraine finished level on points. Chykalov thus ended the British winning streak and took bronze. In the girls’ event in this category, Arina Duzha from Ukraine won by a wide margin ahead of Molly Wilson from Great Britain and Polina Baranova from Estonia.
RS 700 and RS 800: British drivers take almost every podium place
Nine boats, six races, a clear result: Rob Higgins from Cornwall dominated the RS-700 European Championship from the outset. He finished with five wins and one second-place finish to discard. Czech sailor Adam Plhon took silver, just one point ahead of Britain’s Matt Carter.
In the RS-800 European Championships, the podium remained firmly in British hands after eight races in both the main and coxswain’s class. The mixed team of Louis Johnson and Lucy Hewitson won the main class, followed by Monique Vennis-Ozanne and Hugh Shone, and Blake and Brett Tudor. In the Masters category, the French duo Alexandre Emanuel and Victor Robart broke the British monopoly on the podium by taking bronze. Gold went to Ian and Laura Jubb, and silver to Tracey and Freddie Covell.
RS Venture Connect: Australia wins the overall title, Spain takes Para gold
The RS Venture Connect inclusive class held its European Championship under difficult circumstances. Because the starting boats were on the outer lanes could not be securely moored on Monday, on the penultimate day of competition, the crews moved to the Pötenitzer Wiek and sailed there until late in the evening. “The decision to let us sail in the Pötenitzer Wiek yesterday was a very good one and saved the European Championships,” said Carsten Sibbert after the event.
The overall victory went to Genevieve Wickham and Grant Alderson from Australia, who had entered the competition as the reigning Inclusive World Champions. The Spanish pair Pau Toni Homar and Ramón Gutierrez, competing as the defending champions, had to settle for silver overall. Bronze went, by the narrowest of margins, to Pedro Câncio Reis and Teodoro Cândido from Portugal, just ahead of Carsten Sibbert and Johannes Nee from Germany. Sibbert and Nee took silver in the Inclusive classification. “Every time we take part in a championship here, we win,” said Grant Alderson with a wink.
In the para category, the Spanish pair turned the tables: Homar and Gutierrez won gold. Silver went to the Portuguese team of Reis and Cândido, whilst bronze went to the Germans Dirk Thalheim and Stephanie Brix.
On the sidelines of the championship, the German duo of Jens Kroker and Malden Scheffler provided a special moment. Kroker, Germany’s most successful Paralympic sailor, competed in his first regatta alongside 14-year-old Scheffler. Kroker has been without his left hand since birth, whilst Scheffler grew up without his left forearm. The pair finished sixth in the Para class. “Very impressive. He is our future – very mature for his age,” said 57-year-old Kroker of his bowman.
Finn: Budzien keeps his cool in light winds
In the Finn dinghy class, the outcome was never really in doubt over the four days of racing. André Budzien from Schwerin, a multiple world champion in the OK dinghy class, consistently kept Fabian Lemmel from Berlin in his wake. On Tuesday, three more races were held; the wind died down towards the end, but Budzien secured first place in the final race as well. His choice of sails had paid off: “I opted for a deeper profile. That worked well. However, when the wind dropped towards the end, it was right on the limit,” said Budzien. His next highlight of the season is the German Championship in Berlin in September, where he intends to challenge Lemmel on his home waters.
Folkeboot Gold Cup and Vaurien World Championships: Two classic events get underway
At the same time, new opportunities have opened up. The Folkeboot Gold Cup, the class’s most prestigious trophy and unofficial world championship, will be held in Travemünde in 2026 for the tenth time. The one-kilogramme trophy was donated by Lübeck Senator Alfred Hagelstein in 1963. After around 15 years in other European host ports, it is now back at its place of origin. Forty-two trios competed in the first two races. Andreas Blank from Berlin currently leads the standings with two second-place finishes, ahead of Sweden’s Anders Cederblad and Ulf Kipcke from Kiel.
The Vaurien World Championship is unfolding as expected: Southern Europe is dominating. The Italian duo Olmo Cerri and Giola Bertolani, who finished third in last year’s World Championship, lead after four races with a run of three wins and a third-place finish. Close behind them are the Spanish runners-up from the 2025 World Championship, Pablo Cabello Vieitez and Isabel Cabello Canas.
Four British championship titles in two days: will Great Britain dominate the remaining RS classes as well, or will other nations fight back?
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