by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 20, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
Photo: Gwidon Libera
European Championship Starts Today — Who to Watch
There is little time to celebrate the Gold Cup, as the 2026 European Championship begins today and the fleets reset without pause.
Starting positions and fleet assignments can be found here:
Starting Positions: LINK
Results: LINK
As always, the top three sailors from each fleet advance, and that movement often shapes the early narrative of the new series.
From B fleet, Maxime Bachelin (Z-119) moves into Gold carrying both momentum and notable credentials. In addition to his DN success, he has sailed with the Alinghi Red Bull Racing America’s Cup program, bringing high performance foiling experience into the iceboat environment. How that background translates within the dynamics of Gold fleet racing will be worth watching.
From C fleet, Laura Banach (P-102) advances into B fleet after a strong performance and now steps into a deeper field that includes Germany’s Anja Fiedler (G-390), widely regarded as the leading female sailor in the class.
In Gold, several immediate storylines emerge. Fresh off his World Championship victory, Rasmus Maalinn (C-20) begins in the 7 block and remains a focal point from the first beat, continuing a run of form that has defined the week. Alongside him, Swedish junior Tom Hogard (S-906) enters the top tier with a favorable draw in starting position 3, an opportunity that will test how quickly he can convert position into result against a seasoned fleet.
One final Gold Cup note. I spoke with Karol Jablonski shortly after he returned to shore, where he expressed satisfaction with his second-place finish and offered sincere praise for Maalinn’s victory. He explained that his 37th-place result stemmed from a collision with another Polish boat in Race 2, which proved costly in such a tight series, and that the wind shifts in the final race did not align in his favor. He remarked that had someone told him a few days earlier that he would finish second at the World Championship, he would have accepted that outcome without hesitation. He was already heading off to join the Estonians in their celebration, pleased for their success.
The European Championship now begins in earnest, and positions must once again be earned from the opening race.
by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 19, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
Rasmus Maalinn C20, 2026 IDNIYRA Champion
Estonia’s wait is over.
First winner of the Gold Cup in 1973: Ain Vilde, Estonia
When the first DN Gold Cup was awarded in 1973, it was won by Estonia’s Ain Vilde, placing Estonia at the very foundation of the championship’s history. More than fifty years later, Rasmus Maalinn has added a second Estonian name to that list.
Those of us following from afar have been watching the results come in and holding our breath. The championship tightened, shifted, and refused to declare itself early. It could just as easily have gone Karol Jablonski’s way. With his record and his form this season, that outcome would have surprised no one. Every race felt consequential, every update recalculated in real time by sailors and supporters alike.
Maalinn closed it out. Five races in Poland settled the matter, and he emerged at the top of a fleet that included multiple former champions and some of the most experienced sailors in the class.
Planning this championship was challenging. Potential weather forced an early shift from Poland to Sweden, only for conditions to reverse and send the fleet back again. That kind of logistical whiplash tests organizers and sailors alike. Hotels rebooked, ferries reserved, scouting reports reassessed, equipment packed and unpacked. To remain focused through that uncertainty is its own challenge. And then to win, on Polish home ice, with expectations high and history close at hand, may be one of the most difficult things to do in this class. It demands not only speed, but steadiness in the face of constant disruption.
From Ain Vilde in 1973 to Rasmus Maalinn today, Estonia has now claimed the Gold Cup at the beginning of the story and again in its modern era.
A new World Champion, and a result that kept us all watching until the end.
Congratulations as well to Karol Jablonski for a hard-fought second place, once again proving why he remains the benchmark in this class. And to Estonia’s Argo Vooremaa for securing third, giving Estonia not just a champion but two sailors on the podium.
UDATE: There have been 2 other more recent Estonian winners, but they were listed as competing for the former USSR, now corrected to Estonia (USSR). Estonian sailors have stood on the top step before, with Ain Vilde in 1973 and later M. Kuulman and T. Haagma during the Soviet era. What distinguishes this title is that Maalinn has won it racing for an independent Estonia, bringing the story full circle in a new political era.
While the Gold fleet drew much of the spotlight, the B and C fleets produced impressive performances of their own. In C Fleet, Poland’s Laura Banach (P-102) claimed the top position, followed by Switzerland’s Bernard Vananty (Z-124) in second and Finland’s Kimmo Viljamaa (L-147) in third. In B Fleet, Switzerland’s Maxime Bachelin (Z-119) took the win, with Sweden’s Tom Hogard (S-906) finishing second and Sweden’s Tomasz Flisiak (S-878) securing third. Congratulations to all for navigating a championship that demanded resilience and composure from every fleet.
RESULTS
A Fleet
B Fleet
C Fleet
by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 18, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
The ice sailor huddle
DN Worlds 2026
Site Change
Tuesday night the European secretaries, the PRO, and race leadership met to discuss options. The course at Kolmården had proven too short for the wind strength we were seeing, and cracks had developed near the weather mark. After reviewing the conditions, the PRO and race organization concluded that the race course could not carry a world championship properly.
EU Commodore John Winquist led the meeting. Everyone was heard. The discussion was thorough and direct, and by the end of the evening a clear plan was in place. Scouts were dispatched to nearby Swedish lakes and back into Poland to reassess earlier venues.
Wednesday morning the hotel lobby was full. Sailors from across Europe, along with the North Americans, had checked out and were standing by with gear stacked along the walls, waiting for the decision. When the call came, phones were out and ferry reservations began immediately.
The regatta will return to its original host country of Poland. The chosen venue is Lake Bukowo, one of the first lakes scouted before the championship began. Earlier concerns about snow cover had partly led to Sweden being selected. This time the snow missed the lake, and reports from scouts are strong.
Racing is scheduled to begin Thursday on Lake Bukowo. The Americans and Canadians are making the move as well.
My part of this journey ends here as I head into Norway with my brother while the championship continues.
Follow along on the usual channels and on David Frost’s Facebook page.
by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 17, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
DN Worlds 2026
Day 2
Kolmården, Sweden
The sun returned for a second straight day, and this time it came with a forecast that hinted at wind building in the early afternoon. Just before 1 pm, it felt as if someone had finally flipped the switch.
After the wind settled a bit, the Bronze qualifier was sailed in good pressure. After two quiet days, the fleet was moving the way it should at a world championship.
Not long after, the day was called. The cracks on parts of the course, with the wind strength we were seeing, and the short course length was not ideal. Between safety and geometry, the decision was made to stand down at this site.
We are now on hold while alternative venues are being scouted. Flexibility is part of ice sailing. We are ready to move when the call comes.
Join the DN class and see the world! I will try to update this post when the official word has been given on our next site.
Results
DN Europe
DN Europe Facebook
DN Europe Instagram
by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 15, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
DN Worlds 2026
Day 1
Kolmården, Sweden
The first day of the championship opened under clear skies and full sun, something that is not always guaranteed in Sweden at this time of year. The light was sharp and clean across the lake, and while the setting looked ideal, the one element we really needed stayed away, the wind.
Without pressure in the sails there was no racing, but the day was far from wasted. We are fortunate to have three of the most experienced international iceboat photographers on site: Gilles Morelle traveling with the Swiss team, Rola Lora with the Lithuanian team, and Gwidon Libera with the host country of Poland team. They were on the ice all day, working the light, the details, and the quiet moments that come before the racing begins. All three photographers’ images can be seen on the DN Europe Facebook page, and I will share a link to Gilles Morelle’s full gallery: LINK
Many sailors used the time to have their runners inspected by the measurer. Championships are often won in details that are invisible from shore, and a windless day provides the time to take care of them properly.
We begin again today and will see whether the wind decides to join us.
WHAT TO KNOW
Entry List
Launch site
DN Europe
DN Europe Facebook
DN Europe Instagram
by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 14, 2026 | 2026, Home Page
Registration – Competitors are required to pass an online iceboat sailing rules test, administered by Vesa from Finland. The Poles are the host country and brought a bit of Poland with them.
DN Worlds 2026 – Day 0
Travel has kept all of us moving through Europe to the 2026 IDNIYRA World Championship. We all have a long story about how we arrived to Sweden, many via Poland where the Grand Masters regatta was held and where we had hoped to sail
Poland was the plan. Snow changed it. The decision was made and the championship shifted to Sweden. That is ice sailing, we go where the ice is right.
We are staying at Kolmården Vildmarkshotell, part of the Kolmården wildlife park. There is a zoo here (they have a panda, a snow leopard, and tigers!) , forest trails, pools, climbing areas, and more children than iceboats at the moment. Sweden is on holiday this week, and the resort is built for families. It’s a wonderful place for children with many activities for them.
I am helping with registration and scoring this week. Here’s a few photos from that side of the operation.
Racing begins tomorrow, Sunday, February 15.
The ice is here. That is what matters. Glad Alla hjärtans dag.
WHAT TO KNOW
Entry List
Launch site
DN Europe
DN Europe Facebook
DN Europe Instagram
