Forty Tempest teams in the running for the World Championship in Cannes
by Jean-François Cutugno 17 Oct 23:53 PDT
11-17 October 2026
Tempest World Championship in Cannes © YCC
Among the forty crews present for the 61st Tempest World Championship, the German delegation was the largest, and left Cannes with the first three places.
Impressive all week, whether in the very light airs at the beginning, in the medium at the end, the young Tobias Spranger and Félix Meggendorfer, from Olympic sailing, left nothing but crumbs to their opponents, finishing first four times, three times second, and allowing themselves not to even compete in the ninth and final race.
The brothers Lars and Leif Bähr, the reigning world champions, could have been crowned a third time, had it not been for an early start (OCS) in the second round, after winning the first of the championship organised by the Yacht Club de Cannes. Finally, Kicker Schäfer and Gusti Trimpl completed this 100% German podium.
Former world champion of the series, Philippe Boite, associated with Marin Carnot, his usual crew in the 505, finished fourth and first Frenchman. Without a DNF (Do Not Finish) in the second regatta finished out of time, like 28 competitors out of 40 when the Cannes breeze suddenly faded, the duo would have been on the podium.
Of note are the sixth place of Patrice and Agnès Rouanet, still in the European elite, the ninth of Marc Pajot and Régis Viateur, the latter having been world champion in Martinique with Philippe Boite, and the eleventh of Emmanuel Desfond and Bruno Ricciardi, tied on points with the tenths.
Jean-François Cutugno, president of the Yacht Club de Cannes, does not hide his satisfaction: "I especially saw the racers seduced by the welcome, the good atmosphere reigning on the pontoons, a dream weather with winds between 3 and 15 knots. The bay of Cannes in all its splendour!
Now it's time for the RS 21 world championship, which starts in ten days. Forty boats are there, with fine helms and racers preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, delighted to get a little hang of the British one-design."
Full results can be found here.