After the endurance test of the Klaipėda Port Long Offshore Race, the Klaipėda ORC European Championship fleet returned to the water on Wednesday for a very different challenge: two short, tactical windward-leeward races in the Sportland Inshore Races leg.

The first warning signal was displayed at 14:00, giving the sailors additional recovery time after their demanding offshore race. The two races for Class AB covered 6.36 and 7.69 nautical miles, while Class C sailed courses of 5.18 and 6.41 nautical miles. Light to moderate winds, close starts and frequent manoeuvres placed a premium on timing, positioning and clear air. The wind remained lighter than forecast for much of the afternoon before strengthening on the final leg of the second race.

DIXI 5 extends its perfect record

Denmark’s XR-41 DIXI 5, skippered by Erik Stannow, continued its dominant start to the championship by winning both races in the combined Classes A and B with more than a minute's margin in corrected time. Following its victory in the non-discardable long offshore race, the Danish team now holds a perfect score of three wins from three races.

Lithuania’s X-41 KETURI VĖJAI, skippered by Karolis Janulionis, finished second and fourth on Wednesday to move into second place overall. Germany’s X-41 AJA, skippered by John Victorin, recorded a third and a second, leaving the team only one point behind KETURI VĖJAI in the overall standings.

The close competition was particularly welcome aboard AJA, where Lennart Hieke praised the team’s growing familiarity with the boat. “It was an amazing day and a very good team performance,” Hieke said. “We have had the boat for two years. The first season was not easy, but now we have a good team, and everyone knows what to do.”

The German crew overcame a minor equipment problem when a line broke and had to be replaced during racing. “We were still tired after the offshore race and our bodies were hurting, but we stayed close to the leading teams and had a lot of fun,” Hieke added.

Comments from Lennart Hieke

For Karolis Janulionis, the day represented a complete change of pace from the long offshore race. “The offshore race was about endurance and staying focused for a long time,” he said. “Today there were many more manoeuvres, with lots of tacking, gybing and watching the other boats. The margins were close on the water and even closer after corrected time.”

Two strong starts gave KETURI VĖJAI the space to follow its own tactical plan. “We started with clear wind and enough speed to remain in the front row,” Janulionis explained. “From there, we could make our own decisions, follow the shifts and sail our race.”

Comments from Karolis Janulionis

Although the results were excellent, the DIXI 5 crew reported a strong vibration and unusual noise from the rudder after returning to the dock. An inspection revealed possible damage to the rudder after a bumpy long offshore race. The team received permission to haul the yacht out and began working to identify and, if possible, repair the problem.

Garmin Team Pro4u and SUGAR share the Class C victories

The reigning Class C world champions on Sweden’s modified First 36.7 Garmin Team Pro4u, skippered by Patrik Forsgren, opened the afternoon with another win. The battle behind them was close. Denmark’s new MAT 11 STONY X, skippered by Steen Toftebjerg, finished second, while Estonia’s Italia 9.98 F SUGAR, skippered by Henri Roihu, took third.

In the second race, SUGAR turned that podium finish into the young team’s first victory of the championship. They defeated Garmin Team Pro4u by only 17 seconds on corrected time, with Lithuania’s MAT 11 ARABELA-CITADELE, skippered by Raimondas Šiugždinis, completing the top three just 51 seconds behind the winner.

For Roihu, the victory offered proof that a new generation can challenge the established names in offshore racing. “It feels extremely good,” he said. “We are a new and young team, made up of national team sailors. Many offshore crews have years or even decades of experience, but we want to prove that young sailors with the will to fight hard can earn their place in this fleet and win. Today was the first sign that we are capable of doing it.”

The team chose to enter Class C because of the strength and depth of its competition. The fleet in Klaipėda includes several former world and European champions, making every top result hard-earned.

“This is our first year, and our ambition is to win a medal,” Roihu said. “The gold can wait for another year or two.”

Preparation and a willingness to learn have been central to the team’s rapid progress. The crew holds briefings before and after every day on the water, using each session to identify mistakes and improve its routines. “We try to learn as much as possible from every mistake,” Roihu explained. “Then it is about giving our best in every moment. Hiking is not sitting comfortably on the rail. It is holding on with your toes and fingers and giving everything every second. That worked very well today.”

The name SUGAR also carries considerable history. The yacht has been one of the most successful boats in its class in recent years, and the new crew decided to retain its name after discussing the decision with the previous owner. “It creates good pressure,” Roihu said. “As a sportsman, you need high ambitions and high goals. We know the boat’s history, and we have to work hard to win at least as many medals as the previous team.”

Comments from Henri Roihu

With a first and a second on Wednesday, Garmin Team Pro4u strengthened its overall lead. SUGAR moved into second place and leads the Corinthian standings, while Estonia’s First 34.7 LUMI, skippered by Mart Eensalu, holds third overall after another consistent day, scoring five points from the long offshore race and 6.5 and 5 from today's races.

Eensalu said concentration and teamwork have helped LUMI remain competitive across very different race formats. “Consistency is our strength,” he said. “We may not always be at the very top, especially as one of the smaller boats in the fleet, but we stay concentrated and try to get the maximum from every moment.”

Finding clear air was especially important during the short inshore races.

“We are always fighting for free wind, as a smaller boat in the class,” Eensalu explained. “Today we made two very good starts and found clear air immediately. We struggled a little on the first upwind leg, but after that we sailed very well.”

Comments from Mart Eensalu

Race Committee adapts after a lively opening start

Principal Race Officer Eckart Reinke described the afternoon as a productive first day of inshore racing, despite the expected stronger wind arriving later than forecast. “The sailing conditions were good, even though the stronger wind arrived only on the final leg of the last race,” Reinke said.

The opening race featured an eventful starting sequence. Despite a line approximately 300 metres long, the fleet produced a general recall. Three boats in Class AB were subsequently scored BFD after being over the line during the black-flag start. “They were a little too keen,” Reinke said.

For the second race, the Race Committee extended the starting line to over 400 metres, resulting in a cleaner start. That longer configuration is expected to remain in use for the rest of the championship.

The Race Committee also learned from running two fleets on courses with separate windward marks. Although the format allowed both classes to finish at approximately the same time and reduced the wait before the next start, sailors reported interference from boats racing in the other class. “We need to separate the classes more,” Reinke said. “We will look at the course design and come up with a solution for tomorrow.” The first race lasted approximately one hour for the leading boats. The course was extended for the second race, but the strengthening wind again produced a similar racing time.

Racing continues on Thursday

Wednesday evening concluded with the prize-giving for the Klaipėda Port offshore leg and the Sportland Inshore Races leg. The championship continues on Thursday with the Klaipėda City Municipality leg, featuring another day of inshore racing. The first warning signal is scheduled for 12:00.

Conditions are expected to be similar to Wednesday, with westerly winds of around 5 metres per second and gusts reaching approximately 8 metres per second.

Every yacht will carry a TracTrac tracker, allowing spectators to follow the boats’ live positions. TracTrac will also display predicted results based on calculated corrected times, offering an indication of the standings before the yachts cross the finish line. Live tracking is presented by Garmin and available at: https://www.tractrac.com/event-page/event_20260806_ORCEuropea/3573 

Overall standings after three races

Class AB

DIXI 5, XR-41, Erik Stannow, DEN, 3 points
KETURI VĖJAI, modified X-41, Karolis Janulionis, LTU, 11 points
AJA, X-41, John Victorin, GER, 12 points
Class C

Garmin Team Pro4u, modified First 36.7, Patrik Forsgren, SWE, 4 points
SUGAR, Italia 9.98 F, Henri Roihu, EST, 10 points
LUMI, First 34.7, Mart Eensalu, EST, 16.5 points

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).