RS500 European Championship 2026
The RS500 European Championship 2026 was sailed in Travemünde from 18th – 22nd July, as part of the annual Travemünde Woche regatta. This was a truly unique event, with the Travemünde Woche attracting around 1.5 million visitors over its two-week programme.
This year was extra special because the RS Games were also part of Travemünde Woche festival. The RS Games brings together all RS classes for their major event of the year and takes place every four years.
A challenging and unforgettable championship
The RS500 European Championship itself was certainly one to remember. The conditions were challenging, with strong winds and steep waves testing both sailors and equipment throughout the event. With so many classes competing, our racecourse was more than half an hour of sailing from where our boats were based. Luckily, the first start resulted in two general recalls, giving some teams the precious extra time they needed to reach the starting area!
Every day, our Race Officer gave the sailors a short briefing and invited feedback. This was a fantastic initiative not only did it help the race team continuously improve the racing, but it also strengthened the strong community feeling within the RS500 fleet. Sailors, the Race Committee and organisers worked together to create the best possible racing in some very demanding conditions.
On four of the five days, wind gusts reached the high 20s in knots and were so severe that three boats broke their masts on the first day of racing. This had never happened before at an RS500 event and was a clear indication of just how tough the conditions were.
RS Sailing had two new masts available, but that still left one unfortunate team without a mast, the defending Italian champion Gabriele Corsi (ITA1030) sailing with a new crew this year, Fabio Buonaiuto. The International Class Association (ICA) asked the fleet whether anyone would be willing to lend a mast and a German crew Marius Biniasz (1047) immediately stepped up and generously lent their spare mast to the Italian crew. A huge thank you to them for this fantastic example of the RS500 spirit!
A memorable evening on the Passat
After the first day of racing, sailors were invited aboard the Passat by Boat Düsseldorf for a prestigious dinner. Unfortunately, communication with the sailors had been challenging, and many sailors had not received the registration email or tickets.
Thanks to some intense communication and cooperation between the ICA and Boot Düsseldorf, we managed to secure 20 additional tickets for sailors who had not received their passes. Another great example of everyone working together to make the event a success.
Harbour racing – putting the RS500 in the spotlight
The second day brought strong wind and big waves, and after two days of racing many sailors were already feeling the effects of the demanding conditions. Despite that, the RS500 class had been invited by the organisers Travemünde Woche to provide eight boats for the Trave Races that evening. The ICA duly invited representatives from the competing nations to take part in the races, and we were supported by our members. This spectacular event took place at the harbour entrance and was designed to bring the excitement of sailing closer to the public and showcase our fantastic RS500 class. Yet despite every possible condition being thrown in during a crazy hour of sailing: heavy rain, glorious sunshine, strong gusts and even occasional pauses for the arriving commercial traffic from Scandinavia, the races were eagerly followed by the festival crowds and the partisan fleet of RS500 sailors encouraging their fellow crews in what were difficult conditions.
A special thank you to all the sailors who took part, especially after another tough day on the water. Your enthusiasm and willingness to represent the class made a real difference!
A day full of surprises
The third day brought a completely different kind of challenge. Racing was first postponed because of the possibility of thunderstorms. Later, the Race Committee faced another unexpected problem: the starting vessel could not hold its anchor. The combination of strong wind and choppy waves was simply too much for the vessel to remain safely in position. In the end, racing was abandoned for the day.
Instead, international crews played a range of beach games and time together. In the evening, the Travemünde Woche organisation invited us back aboard the Passat for dinner and another great opportunity to socialise, laugh and chat through the regatta and generally enjoy the fantastic atmosphere of the entire event.
International Evening
Tuesday started with much lighter winds. We managed to complete one race, but then the wind disappeared completely, leaving us with no option but to be unceremoniously towed back to the beach. That evening, the ICA hosted its famous International Evening—one of the highlights of every RS500 championship!
Sailors from different countries brought national specialities to share, creating a wonderful evening of food, friendship and international camaraderie. This year we enjoyed contributions from sailors representing the UK, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Germany. The ICA also used the evening to hold the prize-giving ceremony for the 2025 Eurocup, adding another special moment to an already memorable championship. The Eurocup is a European competition delivered by the ICA, often in conjunction with national class associations to increase the frequency for RS500 sailors to connect internationally. The class runs an attractive program of major races around Europe annually. Look at the Eurocup section of our website for more details.
The 2025 winners were: Overall:
1st Emma McEwen & Luke McEwen (GBR) (shown right of picture)
2nd - Jesper Overbeeke & Merle Meinhardt (NED)
3rd - Bruno Goris & Edith Kanters (NED) (shown left of picture)
1st Masters - Bruno Goris & Edith Kanters (NED)
1st Youth - Gabriele Corsi & Giulia Galletti (ITA)
1st Ladies - Anna Justová & Klára Houšková (CZE)
The final day of racing started with a good wind, but once the first race was concluded the wind became even stronger, presenting the event photographer with the opportunity for some truly spectacular images.
We had a great prize giving ceremony next to our boats on the waterfront as the class’s most prestigious regatta drew to a close for another year. The new European Champions are Paul Cullen and Fresh Abendstern who sailed a 20-year-old hull (nr 529) showing that old boats can still be competitive. The results showed that the top 10 sailors, who all received a prize at this regatta, spanned all ages and nationalities. The full results can be viewed on the Travemünde Woche/Manage2Sail.com site.
Other winners:
Despite the demanding conditions, equipment damage, postponements and plenty of surprises, the RS500 European Championship 2026 was an unforgettable event. More than anything, it once again demonstrated the fantastic spirit of the RS500 community; sailors helping other sailors to create the best possible event.
A huge thank you to all sailors, volunteers, the Race Committee, RS Sailing, the Travemünde Woche organisation and their supporting clubs and everyone else who contributed. The challenging conditions may have tested us, but they also brought the fleet closer together, and that’s what makes the RS500 class so special!
We, the ICA, hope to see you all at the RS500 European Championship 2027 in Hamble-le-Rice, UK, with racing from 9th – 13th August 2027, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club. Book the dates in your calendar NOW and please register your intent to participate, doing so will help improve the event for each and every participating crew and it doesn’t commit you to enter.
Best wishes
Adrianna, Jakub, Nigel, Oscar, Viktor