Denmark’s DIXI 5 and Sweden’s Garmin Team Pro4u have won the opening race of the Klaipėda ORC European Championship 2026 after a fast, intense and physically demanding night in the Baltic Sea. The non-discardable Klaipėda Port Long Offshore Race sent Class AB around a 240-nautical-mile course, while Class C raced 195 nautical miles. Strong winds produced high average speeds and thrilling downwind sailing, but short, steep waves made the long upwind sections a punishing test of crews and equipment.
The weather developed largely as forecast, with winds of 20 to 30 knots for much of the race. Some boats reached speeds above 20 knots on the downwind legs, while others faced technical problems and injuries that forced them to retire.
DIXI 5 wins Class AB
After winning silver at two consecutive title events, Denmark’s DIXI 5 arrived in Klaipėda ready to take the next step. The team led by skipper Erik Stannow finished second in Class B on his X-41 at the 2024 ORC European Championship in Åland. In 2025, the crew began racing the brand-new XR-41 design and went on to claim Class B silver at the Garmin ORC World Championship in Tallinn. In the opening race of this year’s European Championship, DIXI 5 converted that experience into victory. The Danish team completed the 240-nautical-mile course in just over 26 hours and won the combined Classes A and B by 57 minutes and 8 seconds on corrected time.
Although the team has an established record at major championships, the XR-41 remains a relatively new platform for the crew. In Klaipėda, the entry list added further tactical strength in Jesper Radich, who won the 2025 ORC Worlds in Tallinn aboard FORMULA X, hull number one of the same XR-41 design.
Lithuania’s Italia 11.98 RHINO, skippered by Saulius Pajarskas, finished second 57 minutes behind and was the leading Corinthian entry, while Estonia’s Ecoracer 44 CLEAN ENERGY, skippered by Mati Sepp, completed the podium 1 hour, 5 minutes and 14 seconds behind the winner on corrected time.
Sweden’s Ker 40 NEMO ROSSO, skippered by Hans Broman, claimed Class AB line honours. It was the first boat in Class AB to finish, completing the course in 25 hours and 55 minutes.
For the crew of DIXI 5, the race combined high speeds with relentless physical pressure.
Tactician Jesper Radich described the race as fast but relentless, with almost no opportunity for the crew to rest. “The upwind leg was brutal, with 20 to 30 knots and short, steep waves,” he said. “Downwind, we reached 23 knots while surfing the waves. This type of boat has a very high top speed, so when it gets going, it can go really well. But throughout the race we had to balance pushing the boat with making sure we reached the finish. It is incredibly tough to sail upwind at night in massive waves. You have to push, but you also have to make it to the finish. We had several issues along the way, but we managed to solve them without losing too much.”
Careful positioning for the forecast wind changes proved equally important. “We played a chess game against the opposition, calculating where we wanted to be in relation to the fleet,” Radich explained. “That part worked really well.”
Comments from Jesper Radich.
World champions prevail in a close Class C battle
The reigning ORC Class C world champions, Sweden’s Garmin Team Pro4u, began their European Championship campaign with another victory. Racing the One Off (modified First 36.7) under skipper Patrik Forsgren, the Swedish team expected to spend as long as 36 hours at sea. Strong winds carried the fleet around the course much faster, bringing Garmin Team Pro4u back to Klaipėda after approximately 26 hours.
By then, Lithuania’s Neo 350 DIA, skippered by Tauras Rymonis, was already at the dock after securing Class C line honours. For a time, the Lithuanian crew also held the provisional corrected-time lead. Once the scorings were complete, the world champions had done just enough. Garmin Team Pro4u moved ahead of DIA by only 2 minutes and 23 seconds, the smallest winning margin across the two fleets.
For the Garmin Team Pro4u crew members Kasper Tidner and Elisa Lindskog, the victory was an encouraging result for a crew contesting its first championship together in its current line-up. The team had limited experience in the strong winds and steep Baltic waves that shaped the race, but kept adapting and solving problems throughout the night. “We thought it could take up to 36 hours, but it took only 26, so we were happy to be back with plenty of time,” Tidner said. “We have not trained much in strong winds, so it was challenging, but it worked out well.”
Lindskog said the team learned important lessons from handling the difficult downwind conditions and short Baltic waves. “This is our first season together in this constellation, and it was our first championship race in conditions like these,” she said. “We have learned to work together and solve problems as a team. We managed everything, but we also know we can do better.”
Comments from Kasper Tidner and Elisa Lindskog
Germany’s MAT 1010 MATCHBOX, skippered by Eile Claas Carmincke, completed the Class C podium.
DIA takes Class C line honours
Although Garmin Team Pro4u won Class C on corrected time, Lithuania’s DIA was the first boat in the class to reach Klaipėda. The Neo 350 crossed the finish line at 12:54:29 after 24 hours, 39 minutes and 29 seconds of racing, securing Class C line honours. The new MAT 11 Arabela-Citadele, skippered by Raimondas Šiugždinis, followed only 1 minute and 59 seconds later.
Deimantė Jarmalavičiūtė, navigator aboard DIA, described the result as a significant milestone for the Lithuanian team. “This is our first time winning line honours in a long offshore race, so it is amazing,” she said. “The hardest part was the nine-hour upwind leg during the night. We were already exhausted from the previous leg, so it was very challenging, but the rest of the race was a lot of fun.”
After a strong start, DIA briefly lost ground when it sailed into an area of lighter wind, allowing several competitors to pass. The team recovered during the demanding nighttime upwind leg.
“Our team spirit was good from the beginning because we had a good start,” Jarmalavičiūtė said. “Later, we lost some places in a wind hole, but we performed well during the hardest upwind section. Everything worked as expected, the manoeuvres went well, and the team did an amazing job.”
The line-honours result was backed up by a strong corrected-time performance, with DIA finishing second in Class C, making it the best Corinthian team.
Comments from Deimantė Jarmalavičiūtė.
The forecast and course design deliver a complete offshore test
Principal Race Officer Eckart Reinke said the weather and wind shift developed as forecast, confirming the Race Committee’s course selection. “The upwind legs were bumpy because of the short, steep waves, but downwind the crews had plenty of fun, reaching more than 20 knots under spinnaker,” Reinke said. Reinke emphasised that offshore courses are designed according to the expected racing time rather than distance alone. The stronger forecast allowed the Race Committee to select a 240-nautical-mile course for Classes A and B and a 195-nautical-mile course for Class C.
A central element of both courses was the inflatable offshore turning mark positioned far out in the Baltic Sea. With no permanent turning mark available far enough offshore, the Race Committee vessel Brabander carried an inflatable mark into the Baltic Sea. Four volunteers travelled for eight hours, managed the mark throughout the night until the final boat had rounded it, and then faced another seven-hour journey back.
“It was a very tough job, but it provided the offshore mark the sailors needed,” Reinke said.
Comments from Eckart Reinke
Three boats retire
Three boats retired from the long offshore race. According to the Race Committee, two experienced technical problems, while a third diverted to a harbour after a crew member was injured. The injury was not reported to be serious.
The Swedish X-41 Joint Venture 4.0 was among the retirees after its jib tore, was repaired and hoisted again, then tore a second time and became wrapped around the rudder. The crew spent more than an hour freeing the sail before deciding to retire. Comments from crew member Jesper Kjelleras
“This is a non-discardable race, so a retirement costs important points in the European Championship,” PRO Reinke said. “But these things happen, and preparing a boat so that nothing breaks is also part of the sport.”
Later start for Wednesday’s racing
The Regatta Village was quieter than usual on Tuesday evening as crews recovered from more than 24 hours of demanding offshore racing. To give the last finishers additional time to rest, Wednesday’s programme has been postponed by two hours. The Skippers’ Meeting will take place at 12:00, with the first warning signal scheduled for 14:00.
The championship will continue with the Sportland leg - windward-leeward races off Klaipėda.
Klaipėda Port long offshore race results
Class AB
DIXI 5, Erik Stannow, DEN, XR-41
RHINO, Saulius Pajarskas, LTU, Italia 11.98
CLEAN ENERGY, Mati Sepp, EST, Ecoracer 44
Class C
Garmin Team Pro4u, Patrik Forsgren, SWE, One Off
DIA, Tauras Rymonis, LTU, Neo 350
MATCHBOX, Eile Claas Carmincke, GER, MAT 1010
Full results
The Klaipėda ORC European Championship takes place from 7 to 15 August. Throughout the week, the Regatta Village at the Klaipėda Cruise Ship Terminal will welcome visitors with maritime experiences, educational activities, exhibitions, entertainment and live events offering an introduction to the world of offshore sailing.
The Klaipėda ORC European Championship is funded by Klaipėda city, partially funded by the Lithuanian National Sports Agency and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The main partner of the event is Port of Klaipėda, and the sponsors are Volfas Engelman, Garmin, Sportland.
The Klaipėda ORC European Championship 2026 is organised by the Lithuanian Yachting Union (LYU), under the authority of the Lithuanian Yachting Union (LYU) and under the overall authority of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC).