29er Class Sets Entry Limits for 2026 Kiel Worlds

31st December 2025

Afloat.ie Team

29er sailors race on a packed championship course as the Class confirms entry limits for the 2026 World Championships in Kiel amid strong global demand and growing fleet numbers.

The 29er Class has confirmed an entry allocation system for the 2026 World Championships in Kiel, citing high demand and venue limitations.

Organisers expect a large fleet in early July and will base national allocations on 2025 entry numbers to ensure fair and safe racing.

Racing in Kiel will be limited to three inner course areas to maintain consistent conditions and manage fleet sizes safely.

There will be no entry restrictions for the 2026 European Championships at Lake Lipno in the Czech Republic.

The Class said restrictions may return for the 2027 Worlds in Marseille, to be sailed at the 2024 Olympic venue from 3–10 July.

Three course areas are confirmed for the 2026 Worlds, while two are planned for the Europeans, with a third added if entries exceed forecasts.

Any change to European Championship course numbers will be confirmed by 14 June 2026.

A detailed entry process for the Worlds will be issued in early January.

Each National Class Association will receive entry vouchers matching its allocation and will select its own representatives.

The Class has appointed Australia’s Larry Cargill as Coaching and Development Manager.

He will be supported by Fede Garcia of Argentina/Spain and Japan’s Hiroki Goto.

Cargill recently attended the Youth Worlds and is due to support sailors at the Asian Championships in Hong Kong and the Asian Games in Japan.

The media team has been strengthened with the addition of Andrea Dall’Ora, working alongside Alexia Lahoud.

The Class said 2025 media coverage helped secure Kidzink sponsorship and expand global reach.

Work continues on improving jib durability following widespread feedback.

The Technical Committee, led by Csaba Cserep, has introduced controlled two-boat testing under identical conditions.

Testing is coordinated in Europe by Federico Garcia, with parallel programmes in New Zealand led by Mike Sanderson, supported by sailmaker Ian MacDiarmid.

The Class said early results are promising, with testing continuing into the first half of 2026.

Minutes from the 12 December Executive meeting and the updated EuroCup calendar are now published online.

Plans include a EuroCup Final in Medemblik next October and a proposed Garda event in May, subject to confirmation.

A summary of the Class strategic review will be released in early 2026.

Recruitment is underway for an administrative and events assistant to support the Executive Director.

The Class is also seeking new sponsors and suppliers.

Published in 29er, Youth Sailing

Published in 29er

Tagged under

29er

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About the 29er Skiff Dinghy

The 29er is a one-design double-handed, single trapeze skiff for youth sailors.

There is an active class in Ireland, just one of the 38-countries from across all continents now racing the high-performance skiff.

The 29er is one of the latest dinghy classes to arrive in Ireland and has a 50/50 split between boys and girls.

The class like to describe the boat as "The most popular skiff for sailors who want to go fast!".

Derived from the Olympic class 49er class and designed by Julian Bethwaite the 29er was first produced in 1998.

Two sailors sail the 29er, one on trapeze.

The class is targeted at youth sailors aiming at sailing the larger 49er which is an Olympic class.

The 6.25-metre high rig features a fractional asymmetrical spinnaker; a self-tacking jib decreases the workload of the crew, making manoeuvres more efficient and freeing the crew to take the mainsheet upwind and on two-sail reaches.

The 15.00 m2 spinnaker rigging set-up challenges crews to be fit and coordinated, and manoeuvres in the boat require athleticism due to its lack of inherent stability and the high speed with which the fully battened mainsail and jib power up.

The 74kg weight hull is constructed of fibreglass-reinforced polyester in a foam sandwich layout.

The fully battened mainsail and jib are made from a transparent Mylar laminate with orange or red Dacron trimming, while the spinnaker is manufactured from ripstop Nylon.

The mast is in three parts - an aluminium bottom and middle section, with a polyester-fibreglass composite tip to increase mast bend and decrease both overall weights, and the capsizing moment a heavy mast tip can generate. Foils are aluminium or fibreglass.