K1 Euro Cup 2026 at Lake Como, Italy
by Jeff Vander Brought 7 Jul 05:28 UTC
22-26 June 2026
The 2026 K1 Euro Cup, hosted by the Yacht Club Gravedona, Italy from 22nd to 26th June, delivered an unforgettable experience on the spectacular waters of Lake Como.
Combining glorious scenery, warm water, and reliable winds that switched on like clockwork at 1pm in cloudless skies champagne sailing at its best. The excellent race management team, supported with GPS positioning marks perfectly kept the schedule running smoothly the whole five days.
The regatta saw 14 boats from the UK and Germany compete in the K1 class alongside the K6 fleet who we shared the event with. Racing was incredibly tight across the board; the first four races produced four different winners, and entering the final few days sailing, any one of the top four boats could have secured the overall win. The back of the fleet was equally competitive, with an international mix from the Uk and Germany, separated by just 14 points after nine races
The event was marked by plenty of camaraderie and light-hearted moments. The “battles throughout the fleet” included a memorable incident where Paul Birbeck jammed a ratchet block and destroyed his mainsheet cleat; despite going “in irons” and losing 50 meters, he remarkably went on to win the race. His determination was not in vain, as entering the final day of sailing, any one of three competitors, including Jeremy Hudson and Richard Simms, could win the Euro Cup event. Well done to Paul Birbeck who took the honours.
A fantastic event and looking forward to returning to Lake Como and the hospitality of Yacht Club Gravedona very soon. Many thanks also goes out to our sponsors Ovington Boats and Craftinsure.
Overall Results:
PosNatSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9R10R11Pts
1GBR175PAUL BIRBECK13OCS3121411316
2GBR180RICHARD SIMS2431242322118
3GBR202JEREMY HUDSON6212316233219
4GBR203DAVID GORRINGE4124433156827
5GBR171JEFF VANDER BOUGHT3655665688648
6GBR189MARTYN EMBERSON8748954547448
7GBR20GILES CHIPPERFIELD5566598895553
8GBR170IAN DUKEdncdnc87787764761
9GBR181CHRIS SWALLOW787987997dncdnc71
10GBR85PHILIP NOAK99IT10111110101310989
11GER186JUERGEN FORSTER101191113101111129dnf94
12GBR99CHRISTOFER COONEY111010131012121210111197
13GBR204DOUG McCUSKER1212121212131313111210106
14GBR114GRAHAM COULSONdnfdnc13dnfdncdncdncdncdncdncdnc133
