The Melges 24 European Championship has stood as one of the most prestigious titles in international one-design sailing for nearly three decades, and its 17th edition is now just weeks away. From 29 August to 4 September, Tønsberg Seilforening will host the 2026 championship in cooperation with the Norwegian Melges 24 Class and the International Melges 24 Class Association, welcoming sailors from across Europe to compete for two of the sport’s most storied trophies.
When the inaugural championship was held in Barcelona in 1996, it planted the seed for what would become a remarkable legacy. Every edition since has written a new chapter, and every champion has become part of a story stretching back thirty years.
The Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy, the perpetual trophy of the Melges 24 European Championship, honours the memory of the Italian sailmaker and outstanding sailor who became the first European Champion at that 1996 Barcelona event. Giorgio Zuccoli’s achievements extended well beyond his European title. In 2000, while battling bone cancer, he claimed the Melges 24 World Championship, demonstrating extraordinary determination, sportsmanship and passion for sailing. Tragically, he passed away on 27 March 2001, only months after lifting the world title.
The Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy was presented for the first time at the 2001 Melges 24 European Championship on Lake Garda in Torbole, Italy, which drew 94 entries from 12 countries. Since then, every European Champion has added their name to its distinguished roll of honour, joining a legacy representing the very highest achievement in European Melges 24 racing.
Italian sailors have enjoyed remarkable success over the years. Flavio Favini and Carlo Fracassoli each claimed the European title twice, while more recent champions include Andrea Racchelli, Michele Paoletti, and the reigning European Champion, Ante Češić of Croatia. The trophy’s roll of honour also reflects the truly international character of the championship, with memorable victories by Britain’s John Merricks, one of the sport’s most celebrated sailors, France’s Christian Roman and Cedric Pouligny, and Switzerland’s Christopher Rast. Every name engraved on the trophy represents not only victory at a single regatta but a place in the continuing history of one of one-design sailing’s most prestigious championships.
Alongside the overall trophy, the Menno Meyer Corinthian European Trophy celebrates the spirit of amateur sailing that has always been at the heart of the Melges 24 Class. Designed by renowned Dutch artist, goldsmith and accomplished sailor Menno Meyer (1930–2022), the perpetual trophy recognises the highest-finishing all-amateur team at the European Championship. A seventh-generation metal designer from the Netherlands, Meyer combined exceptional artistic craftsmanship with a lifelong passion for sailing. A gifted helmsman who was part of the Dutch pre-selection for the 1968 Olympic Games, he also designed numerous prestigious sailing trophies throughout his career. His creation reflects the values he shared with the Melges 24 Class: excellence, sportsmanship and the belief that amateur sailors can achieve extraordinary success at the highest level of competition.
No Corinthian sailor has left a greater mark on the trophy than Estonia’s Tõnu Tõniste, whose Lenny team captured an unprecedented four Corinthian European titles in 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2021, a record that still stands. More recently, Croatia’s Ante Botica and Mataran 24 became the first team to win the trophy in consecutive championships, claiming back-to-back victories in 2022 and 2024. The roll of honour also includes Great Britain’s Geoff Carveth and Gill Race Team by Miles Quinton, Italy’s Niccolò Bertola aboard Taki 4, Norway’s Peder Jahre with Storm Capital Sail Racing, and British sailing legend Keith Musto, each adding another chapter to the rich history of Corinthian excellence within the class.
The championship’s history by the numbers tells a compelling story. In 1996, the first European Championship was held in Barcelona. Tønsberg will host the 17th edition. Two perpetual trophies honour the overall and Corinthian European Champions. The championship spans 30 years of history across Europe. Tõnu Tõniste holds the record with four Corinthian titles, while Flavio Favini and Carlo Fracassoli are the only sailors to have lifted the Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy twice. The 2026 edition marks the championship’s return to Northern Europe after the Worlds in Middelfart, Denmark, in 2023.
The road to Tønsberg is entering its final stretch, with an international fleet already taking shape. Norwegian Melges 24 Class President Vemund Gransæther shared his enthusiasm: “We look forward to welcoming friends and competitors from across Europe to experience Norwegian sailing at its very best. This championship is about more than racing. It is about bringing our international Melges 24 family together in an exceptional venue.”
The entry list already features an impressive mix of experienced championship contenders, national champions, Corinthian teams and rising talent, setting the stage for close racing throughout the fleet. Beyond the competition, sailors can look forward to the welcoming atmosphere for which Norway is known. From the historic waterfront of Tønsberg, the oldest town in Norway, to post-race gatherings at the yacht club, this championship promises memorable experiences both on and off the water.
From 29 August to 4 September, the 17th Melges 24 European Championship will bring together experienced champions, ambitious Corinthian teams and the next generation of Melges 24 sailors, all competing to become part of a championship legacy that began in Barcelona three decades ago. If you have not yet entered, there is still time to join the fleet. The next names engraved on the Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy and the Menno Meyer Corinthian European Trophy could be yours.
