Plenty has already been written about the 2026 Worlds with our Italian friends, so I’d like to say a few words about our “after worlds” long-distance sail: 4 boats, 3 seniors and 3 representatives of the youth squad – spread across two K1s, one K2X and one K3X. The plan was to sail north from Cesenatico to Ravenna and back on the Friday after the Worlds. The briefing before we cast off was almost more thorough than many a skippers’ briefing before a race, because the wind while we were rigging suggested double trapeze. So we got out of the bay at a fair pace – and then the wind died and we bobbed about for an hour north of the club. What now? Same as always: wait it out and stick with it!

Eventually the wind filled in, patchy and at times very gusty, and we got to test how far you can push things. That led to two forced capsizes – and, just as agreed, we were all immediately back together with each other in sight! A great experience, being able to rely on one another…

Despite these conditions, and carried along by the good vibes of the Worlds, we actually made it to just short of Ravenna, landed on a wild stretch of beach, shared out the food and then sailed back to Cesenatico under gennaker. Just under 6 hours on the water all told – a completely different experience from the race course, but every bit as valuable in terms of sailing, cross-generational teamwork and being out in nature. Thanks, Dirk V., for getting us to do it!

The tour team:
Dirk, Ben, Christoph, Johannes, Tom, Levin, Matthias