106 titles across 24 classes. Poland's 2026 sailing championships ran in five parts on three stretches of water

The fleets ranged from Under 13 to Grand Masters and Legends, from the Olympic iQFOiL, 49er and 49erFX to non-Olympic and amateur classes. In all, national champions were crowned in 24 classes and more than a hundred categories.

Five parts, five different fleets

The cycle opened at Mechelinki with the iQFOiL championship, the Olympic foiling windsurfing class. The first Puck event was devoted to non-Olympic and development classes. Gdynia hosted the Olympic 49er and 49erFX skiffs, which next year will contest the World Sailing 2027 World Championship on the same water. The final two events in Puck brought together non-Olympic classes and the Olympic ILCA 6, ILCA 7 and 470.

Competitors included members of the national squad, among them ambassadors of PGE Sailing Team Poland who race in the sport's major international regattas, alongside young sailors at the start of their careers and competitors in the Masters, Grand Masters and Legends categories.

Three local authorities, one organising team

After the final event, Polish Yachting Association president Tomasz Holc thanked the association's team for delivering a demanding series of regattas, and the hosts of the three venues: the mayor of the Mechelinki municipality, the mayor of Gdynia and the mayor of Puck.

The scale is larger than it looks from the shore. Five events, three stretches of water, 24 classes and 19 days of racing meant two months of work by race officials, coaches, technical crews, volunteers and association staff, with the whole infrastructure moved between ports.

Why these regattas matter beyond the podium

For many sailors the national championships are the most important event of the season, and not only for the medals.

- We know that the Polish Championships are the most important event of the season for many sailors, especially those who earn valuable points for their club - says Dominik Życki, sports director of the Polish Yachting Association.

The points feed into the national youth sport system, which translates into funding for clubs, while diplomas and medals help athletes secure support from schools and local authorities. A result at the national championships therefore has a direct bearing on a club's finances and on a sailor's ability to keep training.

Pomerania as the permanent home of the championships

Three venues, all in one region, show how closely Polish competitive sailing is tied to the Bay of Puck and the Gulf of Gdańsk. Mechelinki, Puck and Gdynia have the infrastructure, organising experience and waters to host national championships and the iQFOiL Under 23 Worlds in a single season, with the skiff World Championship to follow next year.

For the region it is more than sport. Nineteen days of racing outside peak season fill accommodation, restaurants and services in towns that normally slow down after the summer.

The championships are organised by the Polish Yachting Association with the Pomeranian Regional Government and the City of Puck as co-organisers, under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Marshal of the Pomeranian Region, Mieczysław Struk. The main partner was PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, with PM Ecology as content partner, Plichta Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as automotive partner and Harken as supporting partner. Event partners included Invest Puck, Marina Puck, OSHEE, Chocian Sailing, Mazuria and the Polish Tourism Organisation.

Winter training now begins for the sailors, and for the organisers preparations for 2027, when Gdynia hosts a world championship.