Campione del Garda, October 2–4, 2026 — For those A-Class Catamaran sailors who couldn’t make the long journey across the Atlantic to the World Championship in Tampa, Florida, Lake Garda offered the ultimate consolation prize. The Trofeo Univela 2026 turned into an absolute late-summer dream regatta.
Lake Garda was at its absolute best. Many sailors had arrived a week early to soak up the gorgeous late-summer weather and gentle conditions—smooth, predictable Ora breezes ranging between a sweet 8 to 15 knots. A strong training group had already been putting in the work under the watchful eye of reigning World and European Champion Jakub “Kuba” Surowiec.
A competitive fleet of 24 boats (with a solitary Classic boat joining the foiling action) took to the start line. With the overall skill level remarkably balanced across the fleet, the racing was fierce from the start. Positions swapped back and forth, and many races were decided on the final few meters—a better-executed last gybe, or just the right trim in the short chop making all the difference. In conditions this tight, every tiny error cost two or three places instantly, keeping everyone on their toes until the finish horn blew.
While the battles in the middle of the fleet were tight, the fight for the top two spots proved decisive early on.
Jakub Surowiec delivered a masterclass performance. Sailing with a brand-new Alien mast received just a day before the event, Kuba showcased unbelievable speed, razor-sharp maneuvers, and pinpoint laylines. Even on the few occasions where he had a tricky start or other things happened, he relentlessly sliced his way through the fleet from behind. If rivals managed to hold an advantage for a lap or two, Kuba proved uncatchable, dominating the scoreboard.
In second place, Switzerland’s Robin Maeder put on a stellar display of his own. Super stable, fast, and remarkably consistent regardless of the wind strength, Robin sailed a almost flawless regatta. While he couldn’t quite match Kuba’s raw top speed, his performance was a top class in speed foiling.
The battle for the final podium spot came down to the wire, but Poland’s Michal Korneszczuk stayed cool under pressure to lock in a hard-fought 3rd place overall.
Just behind the podium, two German sailors delivered a nice performances to round out the top five: Rainer Bohrer (4th) showed good speed and early foiling in the lighter patches, while Alex Meister (5th) brought plenty of bite when the breeze built up. Roland Wenthold also put on a great show, finishing 8th overall—proving that the former heavy-air lover has transformed into a true light-wind foiling specialist!
Final Top 5 Results
- 🥇 Jakub Surowiec (POL 41) – UKS Navigo Sopot
- 🥈 Robin Maeder (SUI 007) – CNB
- 🥉 Michal Korneszczuk (POL 111) – Yacht Club Gdańsk
- 4️⃣ Rainer Bohrer (GER 6) – Circolo Vela Arco
- 5️⃣ Alex Meister (GER 26) – DSC
As the sails came down after nine exhilarating races, the shore atmosphere was relaxed, friendly, and full of smiles. A huge thank you goes out to Tristano and the entire Univela team for seamless organization, hospitality, and capturing fantastic photos and videos.
For most sailors, Trofeo Univela marks the end of the 2026 season and the close start of the winter break. A few eager ones are already planning a winter training camp in Valencia, while few others will head to Calambrone for one last season finale. But one thing is for sure: come spring, the A-Cat fleet will be right back at Univela Campione!
Results Univela: https://www.campioneunivela.it/regate/2026/a-cat-trofeo-univela/open/
Rainer Bohrer GER 6
pictures © Univela