Don’t Miss the Tide: ORC Europeans Early Bird Deadline Approaching

Less than two weeks left to enter the ORC Europeans Klaipėda, Lithuania, at Early Bird fees – the reduction ends on 1 June. The entry list is filling up, and participants are eager to test the championship waters. Meanwhile, the hosts are in full preparation mode. They are working hard to ensure the ORC Europeans in Klaipėda will be unforgettable, both on water and ashore.

The fleet is raring to go for some competitive racing

The 2025 ORC World Champions in Class C, “Garmin Team Pro4U”, have already shared their excitement about facing rivals in these new championship waters.

"We have a new constellation after last years success. During the winter we have regrouped and prepared the boat, all to be in the best shape towards our most packed season yet. The ORC Europeans in Klaipeida is our main focus this summer and we look forward to a tough competition against the best in Europe. So we look forward to seeing you and your crew on the starting line”, – says “Garmin Team Pro4U” team.

Group C features several other intriguing entries. Two brand-new MAT 11 yachts are already on the list: “Stony X” from Denmark and “Arabela” from Lithuania. This new design is already proven, as the Italian MAT 11 “Robe Da Mat” has just won 2026 ORC World Championship in Sorrento with 20 points advantage over the nearest competitor.

While the group B is filling up a little bit slower, previous frontrunners are already in. Among them are the 2025 group B vice-champions from Denmark “Dixi 5”, competing aboard their sleek XR 41.

Early Bird registration for the ORC Europeans Klaipėda 2026 is open on Manage2Sail platform until 1 June. Entry closes 7 July. The championship will take place from 7 to 15 of August.

The event’s Principal Race Officer, the highly regarded Eckart Reinke, emphasizes that there is no reason to delay your entry, as preparations are already in full swing for what promises to be an exceptional experience.

“ORC Europeans, where sailing elite meets, is the key event in the region this year. Klaipėda is in the heart of the Baltics, making it incredibly easy to reach from Germany, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and beyond. Even better, the racing area is right outside the harbour, eliminating long commutes to the course”, - says Reinke, urging teams to secure their spots.

The hosts introduce creative solutions to guarantee top-tier competition

The championship organizers are already working tirelessly to guarantee top-tier competition and an exceptionally pleasant experience ashore.

“The waters around Lithuania have no natural obstacles – like rocks, islands, shallows, or sandbanks – to use as rounding marks. However, we have found a perfect solution: designated vessels will be anchored in specific areas according to actual wind direction to serve as marks in the open Baltic Sea, ensuring variety of race course angles to make competition more diverse, vivid and fair”, – says Mantas Klimantavičius, head of the ORC Europeans organizing committee.

Principal Race Officer Eckart Reinke brings extensive experience to the event, having successfully led past ORC championships, including the 2021 ORC Worlds in Tallinn, the 2023 Worlds in Kiel, and the 2024 ORC Europeans in Mariehamn. 

Eckart will be accompanied by the Estonian race official Madis Ausman, who is highly experienced in Lithuanian waters, having served as PRO in major events like the 2021 Platu 25 World Championship in Nida, and 2022 Curonian Lagoon Regatta in Klaipėda. He also acted as Race Officer for multiple ORC events in Estonia and Finland.

Ari Peltomäki from Finland will serve as Scorer to ensure seamless weather routing scoring implementation during the event. The team of International Jury will be led by Germany’s Timo Haß and features prominent names including Stavros Kouris (GRE), Juhani Soini (FIN), Jan Stage (DEN), Lance Burger (RSA), Neven Baran (CRO) and Andrejs Berzins (LAT).

The International Measurers team will be led by Zoran Grubisa (CRO) alongside Matteo Zuppini (ITA), Andrus Aarna (EST), Rudolfs Romans (LAT), Per Bøymo (NOR), Heikki Räisänen (FIN). They will be joined by an experienced local team of Lithuanian measurers: Vygantas Stankus, Simona Minelgė, Rokas Arbušis and Gvidas Misiūnas.

An invitation to test the waters and enjoy Lithuanian hospitality in advance

For teams eager to test the championship waters in advance, the organizers are offering a special opportunity: the ORC Prologue Race Klaipėda. Scheduled 25-26 June – just two weeks before the main event – it will feature a shorter version of the championship format in the same racing area.

Registration for ORC Prologue Race Klaipėda is open on the Manage2Sail platform.

Both, the ORC European Championship and the ORC Prologue Race Klaipėda promise thrilling, competitive racing combined with legendary Lithuanian hospitality. Participants can look forward to vibrant entertainment ashore, including Klaipėda’s famous “Sea Festival” and exclusive events in the regatta village.