The 2026 European Championship is just seven days away, and the best 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 sailors from across Europe and beyond are preparing to hit the water in Eckernförde, Germany, from July 7 to 12. With 194 boats entered across the three classes, this year’s regatta promises to be one of the biggest and most competitive European Championships in recent memory.
The timing could hardly be better. The Euros land just two weeks after Kiel Week 2026, and with the two events so close together both geographically and on the calendar, a large number of teams simply stayed on in Germany to train rather than fly home and back. That means sharp form lines heading into Eckernförde, with many crews arriving battle-tested and race-ready.
Kiel Week wrapped up on June 24 featuring a brand-new Sailing Grand Slam scoring format with fewer races, points reset between phases, and a top-ten Final Series deciding the podiums in the 49er and 49erFX. The Nacra 17 raced a straight cumulative series. Light, tricky winds all week ensured there was nowhere to hide.
In the 49er, Switzerland’s Joshua Richner and Nilo Schärer came out on top, a result that makes them ones to watch heading into Eckernförde. In the 49erFX, Canada’s Georgia and Antonia Lewin-Lafrance took the win, looking sharp and consistent throughout the week. Their form coming out of Kiel places them firmly among the favourites for the Europeans. And in the Nacra 17, Great Britain’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet were the standout team, dominant from start to finish. On that showing, they head into the European Championship as one of the crews to beat.
All three Kiel Week champions are entered in Eckernförde, so the big question is whether that momentum carries over onto a new piece of water.
It is also worth remembering who holds the defending European titles from Thessaloniki last June. Remarkably, two of the three reigning European Champions arrive in Eckernförde on the back of Kiel Week victories in the same boat. Lewin-Lafrance in the 49erFX and Gimson and Burnet in the Nacra 17 will be the teams everyone is chasing.
The entry numbers tell their own story. With 194 boats on the start line across the three classes combined, that means 388 sailors racing in Eckernförde, representing well over 35 countries. The fleet spans the usual European heavyweights including Germany, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, alongside a genuinely global spread featuring the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Oman, South Africa, and more.
For comparison, last year’s Europeans in Thessaloniki drew 118 boats and 236 sailors in total, so the growth this time around in Eckernförde is significant.
Full entry lists for the 49er and 49erFX are available on the event page, and the Nacra 17 entry list is on nacra17.org. One heads-up for fans: unfortunately, there will not be a livestream from Eckernförde this time. However, daily reports and updates will ensure you do not miss a thing throughout every single day of the regatta.
One week out and the fleet is absolutely stacked. See you in Germany.
