2026 29er World Championship at Kiel, Germany - Day 5
by International 29er Class 8 Jul 20:56 PDT
3-9 July 2026
Another perfectly on-schedule day in Kiel, especially for the Gold and Silver fleets, which have now completed six races in the Finals series. All eyes are now on the final day, where the 2026 29er World Champions will be crowned.
The battle at the top could not be tighter: the leading two teams are tied on points, with the third just four points behind. Every race - and every single point - will be crucial tomorrow, with three final races scheduled for Gold and Silver, and four for the remaining fleets.
Today's racing once again delivered spectacular conditions. The Gold fleet sailed on the outer course, facing impressive waves and demanding conditions, with gusts exceeding 20 knots and an average breeze of around 18 knots. With such intensity, mistakes were costly, and the top three teams have now created a small gap over the rest of the fleet.
On the Bravo course, the Bronze fleet completed four races, while the Emerald fleet managed only two due to multiple general recalls. Conditions there were still challenging, although slightly more sheltered from the waves compared to the Charlie course. Meanwhile, the Purple and White fleets each completed three races.
Watch here the battle of the day!
Watch here the crash of the day here! (Instagram)
At the top of the leaderboard, Argentina's Felix Llauro and Lucas Cozar (ARG 21) hold the lead on 27 points. Tied with them are Sweden's Henric Wigforss and William Drakenberg (SWE 3254), who delivered an outstanding performance, highlighted by a dominant race win and a remarkably consistent series of top-four finishes.
Close behind, the French team Alexandre Mostini and Raphaël Allain (FRA 6) remain firmly in contention with a solid and consistent series.
Further back, but still in the top positions, are the British pair Jac Bailey and Ben Sinfield (GBR 25), tied on points with New Zealand's Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone (NZL 3496). Just behind them are fellow New Zealanders Matteo Barker and Leo Brown (NZL 3022), followed by the mixed US team Julia Sitzmann and Anton Schmid (USA 3458), who are currently leading the mixed category by a clear margin and, thanks to a strong day, have moved into the overall top ten.
Rounding out the top positions are Germany's David Plettner and Moritz Aigner (GER 3501), closely followed by New Zealand's Blake Baten and Hugo Smith, while the French duo Marin Rossignol and Lohan Dolibeau complete the top ten.
In the mixed category, it was a more difficult day for some of the top contenders. Both Italy's Emilia Salvatore and Pietro Rizzi (ITA 11) and the Czech team Karolína Lojková and Kristian Besuzek (CZE 3570) suffered setbacks with BFDs, costing them valuable points. The Czech team also struggled in the final race, allowing the Italian pair to move into second place overall in the provisional standings.
It was also a demanding day for the women's fleet. Current leaders Emmeli Gramkov and Sofie Andersen (DEN 17) shared in interviews how physically challenging the conditions were. They maintain their lead ahead of New Zealand's Bella Jenkins and Jessica Handley (NZL 3251), and Poland's Blanka Sójkowska and Julia Nagórska (POL 3488), with fatigue beginning to show after several intense days of racing.
Watch DEN 17's interview here
Ashore, the schedule is starting to wind down.
Racing resumes Thursday with the first start scheduled for 10:00, and dock-out at 08:30.
Thursday will also determine the top 25 rankings and, most importantly, the new 29er World Champions.
Check out the results here.