Notice Of Race Issued For 2026 29er Europeans

24th February 2026

Afloat.ie Team

29er skiffs train on Lipno Lake ahead of the 2026 European Championship, where shifty inland breezes and tight race areas are expected to test Europe’s leading youth crews.

2025 European Champions Lucas & Moritz Hamm

The Notice of Race for the 2026 29er European Championship has been published, opening entries for teams across Europe and beyond. The championship will be held on Lipno Lake in the Czech Republic from 1–8 August 2026.

The freshwater venue in Central Europe is expected to attract the continent’s leading youth skiff sailors for a week of high-level racing. Lipno is known for shifty and tactical conditions. Quick decisions and strong positioning often prove decisive.

The compact racing area and close-knit shore facilities are designed to support sailors and teams. Organisers say the venue combines competitive racing with a welcoming atmosphere.

Pippa Kenton Page, Executive Director of the International 29er Class Association, said the class was “very excited to be returning to the Czech Republic in August, this time to host our annual European Championships”.

“While the class has previously enjoyed racing in the Czech Republic through Eurocup events, it is the first time the country will host a 29er Championship,” she said. “This event promises to be a wonderful experience for everyone involved, both on and off the water.” She added that the championship would feature “the highest levels of competitive racing” alongside a strong social programme in the Lake Lipno setting.

Jana Kostalova, President of the Czech 29er Class Association, said the organisers were ready to welcome sailors, coaches and supporters to Černá v Pošumaví. “This unique venue, set on the country’s largest reservoir and bordering the Šumava National Park, offers a remarkable combination of steady winds, beautiful natural surroundings, and challenging racing conditions,” she said. “Our team is fully prepared to deliver a well-run, high-quality event, and we are committed to ensuring that every participant enjoys excellent racing and a warm Czech welcome.”

The 2025 European Championship set a high benchmark. Germany’s Lucas and Moritz Hamm claimed the overall title.

Italy’s Giulia Bartolozzi and Pietro Rizzi won the Mixed category. Poland’s Antonina Puchowska and Alicja Dampc secured victory in the Women’s fleet. Attention now turns to Lipno 2026, where Europe’s top 29er crews will contest the next continental crown.

As Afloat reported recently, five Irish places are up for grabs at the July World Championships in Germany.

Published in 29er

Tagged under

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

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.