White Room and Angry Dragon celebrate success at Melges 24 Austrian Championship
by International Melges 24 Class Association 8 Jun 14:26 BST
5-7 June 2026
WHITE ROOM GER677 of Michael Tarabochia in front of the fleet - Melges 24 Austrian Open 2026 - Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2026 © Segelclub Kammersee
The Melges 24 Austrian Championship once again delivered tactical racing, shifting lake breezes and the renowned hospitality of Segelclub Kammersee, as Germany's White Room successfully defended its title as International Champion of Austria and moved into the lead of the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series.
Austria's ELA finished second overall after a strong and consistent performance, while Angry Dragon secured the title of Austrian Champion 2026, completing the podium.
Held from June 5-7 on picturesque Lake Attersee, the third event of the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series attracted teams from Austria, Germany and Switzerland for three days of racing under predominantly light to moderate conditions. Eight races were completed, providing a full championship series and another valuable chapter in this year's European Sailing Series.
White Room dominates the fleet
Germany's White Room (GER 677), owned by Michael Tarabochia and helmed by his son Luis Tarabochia, successfully defended its title as International Champion of Austria in the Melges 24 Class with a near-perfect scoreline. The German team won seven of the eight races sailed and finished the regatta with only seven points after discarding an opening second place.
The winning crew consisted of Luis Tarabochia, Sebastian Bühler, Marco Tarabochia, Michael Tarabochia and Thomas Mathy.
Despite the dominant scoreline, the racing itself was anything but straightforward.
"I would say it is always a nice weekend at Attersee," said Luis Tarabochia. "The wind was quite good for this lake, especially during Saturday's northerly breeze when we had four races in very stable conditions. The other races were more typical lake sailing, with shifts and changing pressure. You need to read the lake well, and sometimes things can look a little unfair when the wind disappears somewhere and appears somewhere else. But that's part of the fun."
Tarabochia praised both the venue and the racing, comparing the conditions to the tactical challenges he experienced during his sailing league years.
"It felt a little like going back in time. We used to sail during the Sailing League on smaller lakes with many wind shifts and tactical situations, and this weekend brought back some of those memories. The infrastructure here is excellent, the water is crystal clear, and every year we seem to get plenty of racing. It is always worth coming back."
Owner Michael Tarabochia echoed the positive sentiment after the event.
"In the soft conditions at the end, we were lucky to win. It was also a very exciting weekend with tough races. Everybody was happy, and we definitely want to come back next year."
Behind the dominant White Room, René Noack's ELA (AUT 607) emerged as the team's closest challenger. Sailing with Anke Noack, Niko Resch, Florian Gföllner and Dominique Weisang, ELA delivered a remarkably consistent series, finishing second overall with 20 points after eight races. Their scoreline included five top-four finishes, allowing them to comfortably secure the runner-up position in the regatta standings.
Although ELA was not eligible for the Austrian Championship title due to the mixed-nationality composition of the crew, the team's performance demonstrated the strength of the Austrian fleet and earned valuable points in the Melges 24 European Sailing Series standings.
Austrian Championship Medals decided among fully Austrian crews
While White Room dominated the overall standings and successfully defended its title as International Champion of Austria, the battle for the Austrian National Championship followed a separate storyline.
According to the championship regulations, the title of Austrian Champion and the medals are awarded only to crews whose entire team holds Austrian citizenship. This opened the door for a close contest among several home teams throughout the weekend.
In the end, Norbert Voith and his Angry Dragon (AUT 752) crew of Matteo Feichtenschlager, Marla Feichtenschlager, Tim Voith and Tobias Michael Grasmann secured the title of Austrian Champion 2026 in the Melges 24 Class and the gold medals after finishing third overall.
The silver medals went to Michael Luschan and his crew of Anna Luschan, Lukas Eigenstuhler, Alice Lang and Philip Lang aboard AUT 502, while Josef Hackl's Kookaburra (AUT 251), sailed together with Claus Hackl, Gottfried Irsigler and Stefan Knoll, completed the national podium with the bronze medals.
"For many years, the Austrian Championship has been one of the highlights of our regatta calendar and has been hosted by Segelclub Kammersee from the very beginning," said Michael Schineis, President of the Austrian Melges 24 Class Association. "This year we enjoyed eight fantastic and highly competitive races in fair and challenging conditions under the leadership of Bernhard Strauch and his race management team. As Class President, I am particularly excited about the diversity of teams and sailors we saw on the starting line. Competitors from three nations, ranging from newcomers to world-class athletes, together with a remarkable number of young and enthusiastic participants, once again demonstrated the strength and appeal of the Melges 24 class."
Melges 24 Austrian Championship 2026
1. WHITE ROOM (GER 677) Luis Tarabochia - 7 pts
2. ELA (AUT 607) René Noack - 20 pts
3. ANGRY DRAGON (AUT 752) Norbert Voith - 24 pts
4. PURE (AUT 716) Michael Schineis - 29 pts
5. AUT 502 Michael Luschan - 31 pts
6. MOJITO (GER 766) Florian Rixner - 34 pts
7. SEVEN SEAS (GER 688) Jörg Tillmanns - 46 pts
8. KOOKABURRA (AUT 251) Josef Hackl - 48 pts
9. BLACK SHEEP (GER 745) Jan Bücher - 54 pts
10. DUBLIN (SUI 530) Knut Marquart - 65 pts
Austrian Championship Medalists
1. ANGRY DRAGON (AUT 752) Norbert Voith
2. AUT 502 Michael Luschan
3. KOOKABURRA (AUT 251) Josef Hackl
White Room takes over the series lead
The victory also had important implications for the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series standings. By adding a third scoring result to its season tally, White Room moved to the top of the leaderboard with 33 points, overtaking Hungary's Chinook, which now sits second on 29 points. Great Britain's Zhik Race Team remains third with 22 points, while Italy's Daito Nano holds fourth place with 19 points.
With the Norwegian Championship still under way today and further events scheduled in Denmark, Norway and Italy before the season highlight at the Melges 24 European Championship in Tønsberg, the battle for the European Sailing Series title remains wide open.
A huge thank you to Segelclub Kammersee for another memorable championship featuring challenging lake conditions, close racing, warm hospitality, and the unique Melges 24 spirit both on and off the water. The championship once again demonstrated why Lake Attersee remains a popular venue on the European calendar.
2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series ranking after 3 events
Melges 24 Austrian Nationals