8th mR World Cup on Lake Constance: “Fleur de Lys” capitalised on home advantage to claim the world title

Against the backdrop of the Alpine panorama, around sailors on 19 yachts from seven nations took to the water. “These yachts are floating design icons – elegant, fast and unique. It is a great honour and responsibility for the Bregenz Yacht Club to host the 8mR World Championships,” said YCB President Oliver Böhler.

The 8mR yachts combine sporting competition with unique tradition and elegance. The fact that the 2026 World Championship is taking place in Bregenz is something special for the whole class. “Sailing a World Championship in my home port aboard the Pandora is a personal highlight for me.” — Werner Deuring, President of the IEMA

Slump defies World Cup spirit

The wind conditions really put everyone’s patience to the test: on the first day of racing, after waiting on the water for hours, all 19 yachts had to return to harbour without any results being recorded. An initial attempt at a race had already been abandoned on the downwind leg – the wind had simply died away. The next lull followed on Tuesday.

Thursday finally brought the long-awaited ideal sailing conditions with a steady breeze – and top-class racing. On Friday, the lull took hold once again. A total of six races counted towards the final standings – and on the final day of competition, Saturday 27 June, another attempt had to be abandoned as the wind died down.

Three divisions, three winners

The “Fleur de Lys” from the Lindau Sailing Club dominated the competition from the outset: with five race wins and one second place from six races, skipper Veit Hemmeter secured the world championship title in commanding fashion. In the Sira division, the “Starling Burgess” from the Radolfzell Yacht Club came out on top, whilst the Neptune division was won by the Italian yacht “Bona”. The President of the International Eight Metre Association (IEMA), Werner Deuring finished fifth overall with his “Pandora”.

• Click here to view the results on Manage2Sail

A positive outcome despite difficult conditions

At the end, event director Wolfgang Mähr gave a thoroughly positive assessment: “We are very pleased that we were able to host a World Championship. The feedback from participants, both on the water and on shore, was consistently positive. That makes us, as the Bregenz Yacht Club and as the organising team, very proud.”

Although IEMA President Deuring was pleased with the two excellent days of sailing, he remained self-critical: “It was good that we had these two lovely days of sailing. However, I am not at all satisfied with our own performance. We will analyse that carefully.” The official closing ceremony took place on Saturday evening with a gala dinner and awards ceremony.

The Eights – Kings of Lake Constance

The 8-metre racing yachts are regarded as the most beautiful and traditional class on Lake Constance. Their history dates back to 1907, when the International Yacht Racing Union in London established the metre formula. The boats are around 14 metres long, weigh up to nine tonnes and were mainly built between 1907 and 1940. Lake Constance is home to one of the world’s largest fleets of these classic racing yachts. Once a year, the IEMA organises a World Cup – four out of every five years in Europe, and every fifth year in America.

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