Summery conditions greeted the sailors as they entered the second half of Travemünde Week. Ten classes continue to compete for world and European championship titles. The day began with a special moment: Frank Schärffe, Managing Director of Travemünde Week gGmbH, celebrated his birthday and was treated to a birthday song sung by hundreds of voices. After that, it was straight out onto the water for the organising teams and the athletes. With the Dragons and RS 21s, two further classes joined the ongoing competition. Both feature highly experienced and professional teams, raising the standard of the field to a new level.
Kitesurfers are preparing for the Gold Cup during Travemünde Week
The North German Dragon Championship serves as a trial run for next year’s big event. That is when the Gold Cup for this former Olympic class will take place – alongside the World Championship, the most important trophy in this keelboat class. The prestigious Gold Cup will also be held in Travemünde. Teams from Hamburg, Lübeck, Kiel and Berlin are taking the opportunity to warm up. A total of 15 teams will be competing for the North German Championship during the Travemünde Week. After three races, Benjamin Morgen from Hamburg leads ahead of his fellow Hamburg sailor Benjamin Hub. In third place is Tanja Jacobsohn from the host club, the Lübeck Yacht Club, with her crew. The winner will be decided on Sunday.
Danes take the lead in the Folkboats
The tide has turned in the Folkeboat Gold Cup. For two days, Berlin’s Andreas Blank led the way, but now the strong Danish crew are in the lead. Thirty-two teams are competing for the coveted Gold Cup. After five races, Per Hovmark has taken the lead with one win and two strong finishes. Close behind him is Sören Kästel, the six-time Gold Cup winner and defending champion. Walther Furthmann from Strande is the highest-placed German team in the standings. In third place, he is on course for a medal. He already has a third and a second place to his name in his Gold Cup career – both achievements were secured off Travemünde and Niendorf on this very same course.
More on the Travemünde Week 2026:
Poland lead in RS 21 despite a penalty
The RS 21 field is a colourful international mix. After three races, seven nations feature in the top ten. Despite a penalty, the Polish team led by Lukas Wosinsky have taken the top spot. The crew failed to collect their tracker this morning and were penalised as a result. The Lithuanian team led by Tadas Zizys follows in second place. The crew led by Melanie Höveler from Munich is the highest-placed German team, sitting in seventh place. The results achieved by experienced sailors demonstrate just how difficult it is to secure a place among the frontrunners in this professional class. Three-time Olympian and two-time world champion Diego Negri joined his Italian compatriot Davide Albertini Petroni on board. The quartet secured a commanding victory, but with a third and an eighth place, they are currently ranked only third. The former top 470 sailors from Berlin – Jasper Wagner, Oliver Szymanski and Dustin Baldewein – have to settle for eighth place aboard Aleksandr Ezhkov’s boat from Montenegro.
Italians dominate the Vaurien World Championships during Travemünde Week
In the Vaurien dinghy class, the field of 59 crews from nine nations is lining up for the grand World Championship final on Friday. The Italians Olmo Cerri and Gioia Bertolani hold all the cards to win World Championship gold. Having secured six wins from seven races, they lead by a clear margin ahead of the Spanish World Championship runners-up, Pablo Cabello Vieitez and Isabel Cabello Canas. The battle for the World Championship bronze will be decided in a close contest between Johan Vissia and Anouk Vissia from the Netherlands and the French pair Francois-Xavier Drogou and Caroline Guilloux.
Class president praises the organisation
Peter Lakshmanan from Dortmund, the international class president of the Vaurien, is competing in the area for the second time following the 2018 World Championships off Travemünde. The 45-year-old is thoroughly satisfied: “We were keen to come back, because the organisation is professional. Camping on Grünstrand, the festival, the sailing area – everything’s just right. It’s the best sailing week in Germany,” he says. With bowman Daniela Böckmann, he is the highest-placed German, sitting in 13th place.
Icelander struggles with unfamiliar conditions
The huge fleet of RS Aero boats attracts sailors from all over the world – including from countries not usually represented at Travemünde Week. Aðalsteinn Jens Loftsson, from the Reykjavík area, is competing in the RS Aero 7 class for the first time. Back home, it is often cold and stormy. The water temperature never rises above ten degrees Celsius. The air temperature reaches a maximum of 20 degrees at best, even in warm summers. The 63-year-old is taken aback: “The conditions in Travemünde aren’t easy. I’m not used to sailing in such strong winds and waves,” he says, immediately adding an explanation: “At home, we usually only sail in light winds and in sheltered areas. For one simple reason: nothing must break, because we always have to go to the trouble of ordering spare parts from abroad. That takes time.” To be able to take part in regattas across Europe more often, he has bought a second boat, which is based in France. He’ll be competing in Travemünde with this one too. His motto: “Sailing keeps you fit. If you stop sailing, you grow old.”
RS Aero with four classes competing
In the RS Aero 5 class, Jorgen Kuivonen from Estonia remains in the lead even after eleven races. Rhett Cowans from Australia has taken the lead in the Aero 6 class. The RS Aero 7 and RS Aero 9 classes have each completed twelve races. Sweden’s Aron Wärnberg continues to lead the RS Aero 7 class by a wide margin, whilst Baabir’o Flower from Canada holds a similar lead in the RS Aero 9 class.
British sailors dominate the RS 200 and RS 400 classes
After three races, Britain’s Ian Pickard and Lauren Callaghan are leading the RS 200 European Championships. The RS 400 European Championships are a British affair. After the first day of racing, the team of John Reekie and Justin Denny have taken the lead.
A close contest in the RS Feva XL class
After five races, the British pair Cassius Day and Harry O’Callaghan are leading a strong field of 136 competitors. Just one point behind them are the Italians Edoardo Bastini and Samuele Bardelli. They are frustrated that they were disqualified for a false start in the penultimate race, causing them to lose the lead. However, they insist that they are still having a lot of fun on the regatta course. Currently in third place are the Swiss pair Jack Laborde and Albert Wells.
Results:
Kites (after 2 races):
- 1. Benjamin Morgen (Hamburg)
- 2. Benjamin Hub (Hamburg)
- 3. Tanja Jacobsohn (Lübeck Yacht Club)
Folkeboat Gold Cup (after 5 races):
- 1. Per Hovmark (Denmark)
- 2. Sören Kästel (Denmark)
- 3. Walther Furthmann (Strand)
RS 21 (after 3 races):
- 1. Lukas Wosinsky (Poland)
- 2. Tadas Zizys (Lithuania)
- 3. Melanie Höveler (Munich)
- 4. Diego Negri and Davide Albertini Petroni (Italy)
- 8. Aleksandr Ezhkov (Montenegro) with Jasper Wagner, Oliver Szymanski and Dustin Baldewein
Vaurien World Championships (59 boats from 9 nations, after 3 races):
- 1. Olmo Cerri/Gioia Bertolani (Italy)
- 2. Pablo Cabello Vieitez and Isabel Cabello Canas (Spain)
- 3. Johan Vissia/Anouk Vissia (Netherlands)
- 4. François-Xavier Drogou and Caroline Guilloux (France)
- 13. Peter Lakshmanan and Daniela Böckmann (Dortmund)
RS Aero 5 (after 11 races):
- 1. Jorgen Kuivonen (Estonia)
RS Aero 6 (after 12 races):
- 1. Rhett Cowans (Australia)
RS Aero 7 (after 12 races):
- 1. Aron Warnberg (Sweden)
RS Aero 9 (after 12 races):
- 1. Baabir'o Flower
RS 200 EM (after 3 races):
- 1. Ian Pickard/Lauren Callaghan (Great Britain)
RS 400 EM (after 3 races):
- 1. John Reekie/Justin Denny (Great Britain)
RS Feva XL (after 5 races):
- 1. Cassius Day/Harry O'Callaghan (Great Britain)
- 2. Edoardo Bastini and Samuele Bardelli (Italy)
- 3. Jack Laborde/Albert Wells (Switzerland)
Fridtjof Gunkel
Deputy Chief Editor YACHT