30 skiffs in Garda

There is already a record breaking number of entries for the 18ft Skiff European Championship

With twenty-eight confirmed entries to date, next week’s (5-9 June) 18ft Skiff European International Championship, the most important event in the European fleet’s calendar, looks almost certain to be the biggest gathering of these amazing craft ever seen outside Australia.

Hosted by the Vela Club Campione del Garda on the legendary Lake Garda in Italy, the European International Championship is one of three annual international ranking events for the class, along with the JJ Giltinan Championships held on Sydney Harbour in February and the North American Championships to be held in San Francisco Bay in September, with points from the three events counting towards team’s world rankings. Joining the European fleet will be a container load of boats from the US and Australia, including US entry Pegasus Racing sailed by two times JJ Giltinan champion Howie Hamlin, who will no doubt be a favorite to win the event.

Competition for the European Championship title will also be fierce, with teams competing from seven countries, across Europe from as far as Denmark and Hungary, including a very strong eight boat British entry. Racing starts with a practice race on the Sunday afternoon (4 June) and then the serious competition gets under way on the Monday with up to four races per day over a combination of short and long distance courses.

A fleet of 30 18ft skiffs is a truly impressive sight and is indeed close to the maximum that can safely race on one course. When the famous Ora thermal kicks in, racing in front of the awesome backdrop of the Garda cliffs will be fast, furious and spectacular.