2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series battle intensifies after seven events
by International Melges 24 Class Association 31 Jul 22:28 BST
19-26 September 2026
Melges 24 Italian National Championship 2026 - Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2026 - Fraglia Vela Riva, Riva del Garda, Italy © IM24CA | Zerogradinord
The summer break may have brought a pause in the European regatta calendar, but the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series is entering one of its most exciting phases.
With seven events completed and three still to come, now is the perfect time to look at how the season has unfolded and how the latest results have reshaped the overall leaderboard.
The Series has now welcomed 86 teams from 11 nations, once again underlining the international strength of the Melges 24 Class and the growing popularity of the European Sailing Series.
A growing series across Europe
The opening seven events have showcased the continued growth of the Melges 24 Class across Europe. Four regattas have been held on the southern Europe-Opatija (Croatia), Trieste (Italy), Attersee (Austria) and Riva del Garda (Italy)-while the northern calendar has featured Trondheim (Norway), Struer (Denmark) and Hankø (Norway). As expected, many teams have competed primarily at events closer to home, creating different regional dynamics within the overall European Sailing Series.
Participation in the northern events has been particularly encouraging. The Norwegian Open in Trondheim attracted 24 teams, followed by 25 boats at the Nordic Championship in Hankø, highlighting the continued growth and strength of the Scandinavian Melges 24 fleet. Riva del Garda with the Italian Championship then answered with a 30-boat fleet from 11 nations at the Italian Championship-the largest event of the Series so far-once again demonstrating the depth and competitiveness of the Melges 24 Class across Europe.
The growing participation in Scandinavia is especially encouraging as the Melges 24 European Championship returns to Northern Europe for the first time since Middelfart Worlds in Denmark in 2023, providing another opportunity for the region's expanding fleet to compete at the highest level later this season.
Riva del Garda reshapes the leaderboard
Before the seventh event, following the Nordic Championship in Hankø, the overall standings reflected the strength of the Norwegian fleet. Norwegian teams occupied seven of the Top 10 positions, led by Storm Capital, Blow and Helly Hansen II Lisa, following consistently strong performances throughout the northern events.
The leaderboard changed at the Melges 24 Italian Championship - Trofeo Gaudì in Riva del Garda. The highly competitive 30-boat fleet dramatically reshuffled the leaderboard. Italy's Melgina, fresh from winning the Corinthian title in Riva, climbed from ninth to first overall, while Germany's White Room advanced from tenth to second. Hungary's Chinook continued its remarkably consistent season by moving from 14th to third, and Croatia's Razjaren, runner-up in Riva after finishing tied on points with event winner Strambapapà, entered the overall Top 10 in eighth place. Britain's Zhik Race Team also made significant progress, climbing from 17th to ninth.
The updated standings illustrate just how open this year's competition has become. Strong performances across both northern and southern events have brought teams from across Europe firmly into contention for the overall Series title.
The race at the top
The current leaderboard reflects the international character of the Series. Norway continues to have five teams in the overall Top 10, while Italy, Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Great Britain are each represented by one team among the leading contenders.
2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series Standings: (top ten, 7 events)
1. MELGINA (ITA 854) - Paolo Brescia - 56 pts
2. WHITE ROOM (GER 677) Corinthian - Michael Tarabochia / Luis Tarabochia - 54 pts
3. CHINOOK (HUN 850) Corinthian - Ákos Csoltó - 51 pts
4. STORM CAPITAL (NOR 751) Corinthian - Peder Jahre - 48 pts
5. BLOW (NOR 787) Corinthian - Peder Nergaard - 45 pts
6. RETT RUNDT HJØRNET (NOR 732) Corinthian - Herman Horn-Johannessen - 45 pts
7. HELLY HANSEN II LISA (NOR 697) Corinthian - Børre Hekk Paulsen - 45 pts
8. RAZJAREN (CRO 867) - Ante Cešic / Karlo Kuret - 43 pts
9. ZHIK RACE TEAM (GBR 694) Corinthian - Miles Quinton / Geoff Carveth - 42 pts
10. HELLY HANSEN (NOR 724) - Kristian Nergaard - 37 pts
The battle at the top could hardly be closer. Italy's Melgina leads the standings by just two points from Germany's White Room, while Hungary's Chinook sits only five points behind the leader. With the Series counting each team's four best event results, every remaining regatta still offers opportunities for significant movement in the standings.
Corinthian battle adds another dimension
The Corinthian division continues to be one of the defining strengths of the Melges 24 Class, with amateur crews regularly challenging for top overall results while competing for their own European Sailing Series honours. After seven events, Germany's White Room leads the Corinthian standings, followed by Hungary's Chinook and Norway's Storm Capital, highlighting the consistency of their all-amateur campaigns throughout the season.
Current overall Series leader Melgina provides an interesting example of the flexibility within the Melges 24 Class. Paolo Brescia's team competed as a Corinthian entry at two events this season—including its Corinthian victory at the Italian Championship in Riva del Garda—but raced in the Open division at another event. Under the European Sailing Series rules, the team is therefore classified in the Open standings for the season, rather than the Corinthian ranking.
The strength of the Corinthian fleet is also reflected in the overall standings, where seven Corinthian teams currently occupy places in the Overall Top 10, once again demonstrating the exceptional level of amateur competition within the Melges 24 Class.
Three events remain
Although seven regattas have now been completed, the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series is far from decided. Three scoring events remain on the calendar, beginning with the Melges 24 European Championship in Tønsberg, Norway from 29 August to 4 September, followed by Sønderborg, Denmark, before the Series concludes in Pula, Croatia, host venue of the 2027 Melges 24 World Championship. With the European Championship carrying increased weighting within the Series, the overall standings are expected to evolve further before the season concludes.
From record fleet sizes in Norway and Italy to an increasingly international leaderboard, the opening seven events have once again demonstrated the strength and vitality of the Melges 24 Class across Europe. With three events still to sail and the four-best-results format keeping the championship wide open, the race for the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series title promises an exciting finish to the season.
2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series Ranking results after 7 events
More details of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series available at: melges24.com/europeansailingseries