Howth Yacht Club’s Darren Wright and his Adrenaline crew have finished eighth overall at the 2026 Melges 24 European Championship in Tønsberg, Norway, completing their campaign with seventh place in the ninth and final race.
The Irish entry finished the nine-race championship on 63 points after one discard, securing a top-ten European result for Wright and crew Hannah Morris, Jack Wetherell and their Adrenaline teammates.
Wright's scorecard of 5-11-3-7-7-15-(19)-8-7 included a third place in Race 3 and ended with a seventh in Race 9, while the 19th was discarded.
As Afloat reported yesterday, Adrenaline went into the scheduled final day lying eighth overall following three races on Thursday. Wright had recorded 19th, eighth and seventh in Races 7, 8 and 9 respectively, with the 19th becoming the Howth boat's discard.
That Race 9 seventh left Adrenaline on 63 points and eighth overall, with one race scheduled for Friday offering a final opportunity to improve on an already strong top-ten position.
Final Race Lost to Light Winds
However, no further racing took place in Tønsberg. The fleet waited under postponement on Friday while the race committee monitored conditions and explored the possibility of using another racing area. The breeze never increased beyond approximately four knots, and AP over A was displayed at 14:05, officially ending the championship after nine races.
Flags Fall Flat: Motionless flags in Tønsberg underline the lack of breeze that forced the cancellation of the Melges 24 Europeans’ final race, confirming Howth’s Adrenaline in eighth overall. Photo: Trond Teigen
It meant Thursday's Race 9 became the final race of the European Championship and confirmed Adrenaline in eighth overall on 63 points.
The result capped a demanding championship for the Howth crew. The fleet encountered a wide range of conditions over three days of racing, from large swells and light airs to Wednesday's heavy-weather programme, when winds reached the upper limits of the Melges 24 class and produced high-speed downwind racing.
Razjaren Retains European Crown
Croatia's Razjaren, helmed by Ante Cesic and owned by Lukasz Podniesinski, successfully defended the European title it won on home waters in Split in 2024.
Champions Crowned: Croatia’s Razjaren celebrates a second successive Melges 24 European title in Tønsberg, while Norway’s Storm Capital secured the Corinthian crown. Photo: Trond Teigen
Razjaren had already made the championship mathematically secure with one race to spare after back-to-back victories in Races 7 and 8. The Croatian crew finished on 22 points, 14 clear of Paolo Brescia's Italian Melgina on 36.
Vladimir Prosikhin's Nika took bronze on 44 points, while Norway's Storm Capital, helmed by Peder Jahre, finished fourth overall on 48 points and won the Corinthian European title.
