2026 29er World Championship at Kiel, Germany - Day 1
by International 29er Class 4 Jul 17:06 BST
3-9 July 2026
The 2026 29er World Championship got off to a flying start on Friday, with all six fleets launched and racing on schedule off the Olympic Sailing Center Kiel-Schilksee.
Three qualifying races were completed across three race areas — the Yellow and Blue fleets on Course Alpha, Green and Red on Course Bravo, and Purple and White furthest out on Course Charlie — and the day delivered exactly the kind of varied, demanding conditions Kiel is famous for, from shifty flat-water racing close to shore to cleaner breeze and building chop out in the bay.
At the top of the leaderboard, Argentina's Felix Llauro and Lucas Cozar (ARG 21) set the early pace with a perfect scoreline — so consistent that they discarded a race win they didn't even need to count, sitting on just 2 net points. Great Britain's Jac Bailey and Ben Sinfield (GBR 25) matched them on net points in second after two bullets of their own. Poland's Blanka Sójkowska and Julia Nagórska (POL 3488) sit third overall and lead the women's standings, and few teams arrive in hotter form, having just dominated the 29er Eurocup at Kiel Week on these very waters, winning the Women's fleet and topping the U18 overall rankings.
New Zealand's Matteo Barker and Leo Brown (NZL 3022) opened their week with a first and a second to sit fourth, while France's Alexandre Mostini and Raphael Allain (FRA 6) round out the top five — Mostini another name to watch after winning the Carnon stage of the 2026 Eurocup earlier this season. Just behind, Germany's David Plettner and Moritz Aigner (GER 3501) lead the home charge in sixth, ahead of Sweden's Henric Wigforss and William Drakenberg (SWE 3254) and Australia's Hamish Skelton and Joel Beashel (AUS 3190). With only three races sailed and just a handful of points separating the top ten, everything remains wide open heading into Day 2.
Ashore, the boat park has a special buzz to it. For many sailors this isn't week one in Kiel — it's week three or four. With schools out for summer break, plenty of teams have been based at Schilksee since before Kiel Week, turning the Olympic center into their summer home and training ground. That familiarity shows on the water, and it shows in the atmosphere ashore: a boat park full of friends from around the world who have spent their summer side by side, now racing each other for a world title.
The action didn't stop when the boats hit the shore. Sailors were welcomed back with snacks before joining a beach cleanup and educational session led by the Surfrider Foundation in the chill-out zone — a hands-on continuation of the championship's sustainability programme.
Racing continues tomorrow as the qualifying series builds toward fleet splits.