K1 Euro Cup 2026 at Lake Como, Italy
by Jeff Vander Brought 7 Jul 06:28 BST
22-26 June 2026
The 2026 K1 Euro Cup, hosted by the Yacht Club Gravedona, Italy from 22nd to 26th June, delivered an unforgettable experience on the spectacular waters of Lake Como.
Combining glorious scenery, warm water, and reliable winds that switched on like clockwork at 1pm in cloudless skies champagne sailing at its best. The excellent race management team, supported with GPS positioning marks perfectly kept the schedule running smoothly the whole five days.
The regatta saw 14 boats from the UK and Germany compete in the K1 class alongside the K6 fleet who we shared the event with. Racing was incredibly tight across the board; the first four races produced four different winners, and entering the final few days sailing, any one of the top four boats could have secured the overall win. The back of the fleet was equally competitive, with an international mix from the Uk and Germany, separated by just 14 points after nine races
The event was marked by plenty of camaraderie and light-hearted moments. The "battles throughout the fleet" included a memorable incident where Paul Birbeck jammed a ratchet block and destroyed his mainsheet cleat; despite going "in irons" and losing 50 meters, he remarkably went on to win the race. His determination was not in vain, as entering the final day of sailing, any one of three competitors, including Jeremy Hudson and Richard Simms, could win the Euro Cup event. Well done to Paul Birbeck who took the honours.
A fantastic event and looking forward to returning to Lake Como and the hospitality of Yacht Club Gravedona very soon. Many thanks also goes out to our sponsors Ovington Boats and Craftinsure.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Nat | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | GBR | 175 | PAUL BIRBECK | 1 | 3 | OCS | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 2 | GBR | 180 | RICHARD SIMS | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| 3 | GBR | 202 | JEREMY HUDSON | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 19 |
| 4 | GBR | 203 | DAVID GORRINGE | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 27 |
| 5 | GBR | 171 | JEFF VANDER BOUGHT | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 48 |
| 6 | GBR | 189 | MARTYN EMBERSON | 8 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 48 |
| 7 | GBR | 20 | GILES CHIPPERFIELD | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 53 |
| 8 | GBR | 170 | IAN DUKE | dnc | dnc | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 61 |
| 9 | GBR | 181 | CHRIS SWALLOW | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | dnc | dnc | 71 |
| 10 | GBR | 85 | PHILIP NOAK | 9 | 9 | IT | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 89 |
| 11 | GER | 186 | JUERGEN FORSTER | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | dnf | 94 |
| 12 | GBR | 99 | CHRISTOFER COONEY | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 97 |
| 13 | GBR | 204 | DOUG McCUSKER | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 106 |
| 14 | GBR | 114 | GRAHAM COULSON | dnf | dnc | 13 | dnf | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | dnc | 133 |