Switch Global Championship 2026 Day 2: Pelèr 3 - Ora 0
by Mark Jardine 9 Oct 22:50 BST
8-11 October 2026
In a day of two halves for the 57 sailors from 16 nations racing on the second day of the Switch Global Championship on Lake Garda. The northerly Pelèr thermal wind was the winner, powering three spectacular races, while after lunch, fuelled by Italian espresso and pasta, the Ora proved to be a damp squib, flattering to deceive, with the sailors and their foiling one design dinghies being towed back to the Circolo Vela Torbole when it fell away to nothing.
One thing you can be sure of at the northern end of Lake Garda is that the locals will give you their opinion on what the wind will do with conviction. They'll state the time and strength the breeze will come in, how long it will last, and when it will switch direction.
To be fair though, everyone I spoke to today was spot on about the morning Pelèr, and it delivered on its promise. Three cracking races after a slight delay getting the committee boat to properly anchored in the 300-metre depth lake and sorting a couple of Vakaros RaceSense units.
There was a near 50/50 split on choice as to which tack to start on in each race, with the inevitable close shaves as the sides converged. As a spectator it was a case of grab the popcorn and watch, but on the wing of the Switch foiling dinghies it was a little more hair-raising.
The one design nature of the class keeps things far closer that development foilers, so the fastest sailors can't rely on the latest bit of tech to eke out a boat length and cross the fleet. It must be done the hard way, with split-second timing, superb tactics and boat speed. Effectively the Switch harks back to the days of traditional one design sailing, but in fast forward.
The form sailor was the Netherlands' Paul Hameeteman, who blitzed the fleet to finish the day on four points, counting two wins and a second on his scoreline. He's been practicing on Garda lately, claiming to know the shifts and gusts intimately, and he certainly backed that up with his performance. The home nation's Massimiliano Antoniazzi lies second with Great Britain's Finley Dickinson third.
In the Women's ranking it's been a perfect start for Malta's Antonia Schultheis, who was mixing it up with on the water with some of the top male foiling sailors in the world, even though she's using the smaller 7.5 metre rig. There are several Olympic medallists behind her in the overall results, and she has eyes on climbing the ranking further over the weekend. Ireland's Elysia O'Leary is second in the women's ranking with the USA's Pearl Lattanzi, a two-time WASZP Games women's champion, third.
The tight Switch class racing made for incredible viewing and is rapidly becoming the platform of choice for sailors who are looking to progress their careers into SailGP and the America's Cup. The one design racing allows them to truly gauge their level against the best in the world and showcase their talent. The eyes of the world, including the decisionmakers in the top professional teams, are watching what's happening on Lake Garda this week and the next generation of sailing superstars are emerging, with 26 of the sailors being under 23 years old.
The class isn't just for those with professional aspirations. Many are here for the fun of it, and a number are finding it's the ideal way to get back into sailing after time away from the sport, be that for career, family or waiting to find a class that gives them the thrill they crave.
Race Officer Tim Hancock has called for another early start on Saturday, so we'll see what the Pelèr vs. Ora scoreline is tomorrow. Whichever breeze comes out on top, it's sailing that's proving to be the real winner in this event.
Full results so far and more information can be found here.