Switch Global Championship 2026 Day 3: Ora on song with foils whistling to its tune
by Mark Jardine 10 Oct 21:22 BST
8-11 October 2026
Lake Garda is a bucket-list venue for sailors and a mecca of the foiling world for a very good reason. When the Ora is on song it's nearly unbeatable and the Switch foils whistle to its tune.
The Switch has given these sailors a fast, one design platform to enjoy the lake at its best. The racing is tight, the fleet inseparable at times, and the competition is intense. Sailors are flocking the class as it's being everything that was promised and allowing sailors to test themselves against the best, knowing that the equipment their rivals use is identical to what they have. You may not win, but you'll come away with so much knowledge on how to foil fast and have an immense amount of fun in the process. Put simply, it's the boat that the sailors want.
Saturday saw the fleet again launch early in the northerly Pelèr thermal wind, completing a race before this morning breeze faded, with all the signs pointing to a classic Ora in the afternoon. Garda local and under 23 sailor Mose Bellomi took the race win ahead of American Gavin Ball with the host club's Mattia Cesana third. Denmark's Camilla Svensson broke the perfect run of Antonia Schultheis in the Women's category.
After the obligatory pasta lunch and espresso as the cloud parted and the sun broke through, the postponement flag came down and the fleet launching into a building southerly Ora.
Paul Hameeteman from the Netherlands picked up his third bullet of the event in race 5 and looked to be on course for another in race 6 until he uncharacteristically nose-dived on the final downwind leg, handing victory to Denmark's Magnus Overbeck, who is steadily climbing the rankings after his DNC in race 1.
Great Britain's Finley Dickinson picked up his first win of the event in race 7, in what turned out to be the last race of the day. With the long, hot summer in Europe, it's easy to forget it's October, and the cloud had started to build, shutting down the Ora as Race Officer Tim Hancock tried in vain to get the fourth race of the afternoon away.
Antonia Schultheis dazzled with her 7.5 rig on Saturday afternoon, picking up three wins in both the Women's and Open categories. also finishing in the top ten overall in races 5 and 7 with a metre squared less sail area.
Going into the final day Paul Hameeteman has a commanding lead at the top but cannot afford to slip up as both Finley Dickinson and Magnus Overbeck are within striking distance. Sailors from five nations are in the top six, demonstrating how the Switch has taken off around the world, and four of the sailors in the top ten are under 23, showing the appeal of the class to younger sailors.
It's another 9am start on Sunday with a Pelèr likely, and then hopefully another Ora in the afternoon to conclude the championship in style.
Full results so far and more information can be found here.