The 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series reaches its dramatic conclusion this week in Pula, Croatia, with the season’s final regatta set to determine both the overall and Corinthian champions. From the opening event in Opatija, Croatia, through Italy, Austria, Denmark and Norway, the Series has showcased the continued strength and growth of the Melges 24 Class, attracting 96 teams to the overall ranking before the last race gets underway.
With the scheduled ninth event in Sønderborg, Denmark, cancelled due to low interest, the Series has comprised eight completed regattas before arriving in Pula. Throughout the season, each team’s four best results have counted towards the overall standings, while the Melges 24 European Championship in Tønsberg, Norway, carried an enhanced 1.2 weighting, recognising the importance of the continental championship and the commitment required to compete in the season’s headline event.
The 2026 calendar has once again demonstrated the geographical diversity of the Melges 24 Class. Four events were sailed on the southern circuit in Croatia, Italy (twice) and Austria, while the northern circuit featured regattas in Norway (twice) and Denmark, before Europe’s best teams came together for the 42-boat European Championship in Tønsberg.
While many teams naturally competed closer to home throughout the season, the Scandinavian events attracted particularly strong fleets, underlining the continued growth of the Melges 24 Class in Northern Europe. Combined with the enhanced weighting of the European Championship, those regattas have had a significant impact on the overall standings, with Norwegian teams now occupying many of the leading positions heading into the Series finale.
Italy’s MELGINA (ITA 854), helmed by Paolo Brescia, continues to lead the overall standings thanks to another season of remarkable consistency. Behind them, however, the battle remains extremely close.
Norway’s STORM CAPITAL by Peder Jahre, the current leading Corinthian team, occupies second place overall, while Croatia’s European Champions RAZJAREN have climbed to third following their title-winning performance in Tønsberg. Completing the current top five are another Norwegian Corinthian campaign, HELLY HANSEN II LISA, and Italy’s TAKI 4 / TAKI 5 with Niccolò Bertola at the helm.
One of the defining characteristics of the Melges 24 Class continues to be the strength of its Corinthian competition. Amateur crews are not only competing for their own Series title but are also challenging at the very front of the overall fleet.
With one event remaining, STORM CAPITAL leads the Corinthian standings while also sitting second overall. Fellow Norwegian teams HELLY HANSEN II LISA, RETT RUNDT HJØRNET, BLOW and TEAM BAGDAD PROSPECTS all occupy places within the overall Top 10, underlining the exceptional depth of the Scandinavian Corinthian fleet. Germany’s WHITE ROOM, Hungary’s CHINOOK, Great Britain’s ZHIK RACE TEAM, and Austria’s ELA remain among the leading Corinthian campaigns in the Series, highlighting the strong international depth of the amateur competition.
The curtain now falls on the 2026 European Sailing Series in Pula, Croatia, where the final event begins this week. Besides deciding this year’s overall and Corinthian Series champions, the regatta also offers teams the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the venue that will host the 2027 Melges 24 World Championship from 29 May to 5 June.
With only one event remaining, the calculations are simple: one last chance to improve a team’s best four results, one final opportunity to climb the rankings, and one more regatta before another successful European season comes to its conclusion. From the Adriatic to Lake Garda, from Austria to the Norwegian fjords, and now back to Croatia, the 2026 European Sailing Series is ready for its final chapter.
