Polish sailing cup kicks off with a weekend full of excitement

– Today we completed the first edition of the Polish Sailing Association Cup in six classes. We had over 120 competitors. The conditions were very challenging, which is actually good, because these races served as qualifiers for the Polish Sprint Championships. So, athletes were fighting not just for medals and trophies, but also for a spot in a much more prestigious event, said Rafał Szukiel, Head Coach of the National Junior Team.

Changing weather brings tactical challenge

Saturday’s races were marked by strong winds and rain, while Sunday brought lighter air and some sunshine. The unstable wind direction complicated racecourse setup and increased the tactical demands on the water.

Close racing in all classes

In the 505 class, the team of Jan Sibilski and Andrzej Borowiak (ŻLKS Kiekrz) took first place, narrowly beating Dominik Ostrowski and Maciej Goździk by just one point. Third place went to Marcin Panek and Jakub Grabowski.

The Omega Sport fleet saw a last-minute win by Yacht Klub Polski Warszawa, skippered by Maciej Bienias, who edged out the team from Gdynia Maritime University and another YKP Warszawa crew.

– Mixed feelings – the atmosphere and the results were fantastic, as we won the regatta, but the weather was tough, especially on Saturday. Sunday was much nicer, though the wind didn’t seem to know which way to blow. Luckily, we read it right, said Bienias. – I really like Krynica Morska – it’s great for both sport and leisure. You can come with your family and no one gets bored. The port is excellent, perfectly prepared for hosting a large number of competitors.

Omega Standard was won by Krzysztof Ruliński, Bartosz Skrzypczak and Daniel Motłoch (Lubuski Klub Żeglarski), followed by the Kurczewski family team from ŻLKS Poznań, and Michał Gajda’s team from Yacht Club Rewa in third.

In Nautica 450, consistency paid off for Bartosz and Marta Puchowscy (Nautica Class Association), who posted a 2-2-1-2 scoreline to take the win. Krzysztof and Łukasz Maksymowicz (Rockstars Racing/Sailing Legia) were second, followed by Błażej Łukomski and Mateusz Myszkowski (Jacht Klub Wielkopolski).

The OK’Dinghy class also completed four races, with three sailors tied in points before the final race. Michał Strumnik (OK’Dinghy Class Association) claimed victory, with Marek Bernat (Olsztyn Sailing Foundation) and Radosław Droździk (YKP Bielsko) rounding out the podium.

Junior classes deliver strong performances

In the Open Skiff class, sailors from KŻ Horn Kraków dominated, with Paweł Sitko and Jan Waśkiewicz finishing first and second. Stanisława Wygońska (Yacht Klub Junga Foundation) placed third overall and first among girls.

– This is the first qualifier for the Polish Sprint Championships, and I really hope to make it. So far everything’s going my way, but we still have two more regattas this season, said Wygońska. – What I enjoy the most is the people – the atmosphere is like family. We’re all friends, and it’s been so good to see everyone again after the long winter break.

Among the U13 sailors, Martyna Szczepa (girls) and Aleksander Grygołowicz (boys) took top honors.

Windsurfers battle variable winds

The Techno 293 windsurfing class completed six races in both U13 and U17 age groups. In U13, Jędrzej Górski (Gdańsk Sailing Club) took the win, ahead of Zofia Socha and Maksymilian Wiland, both representing Sopot Sailing Club.

The U17 category, featuring 12- to 14-year-olds with international experience, saw Jakub Kaźmierczak (UJKS Szturwał Kalisz) dominate, with Kalina Wilandt and Sara Małaj (both from SKŻ Sopot) finishing second and third respectively.

– The conditions changed a lot. Yesterday was rainy, cold and windy. Today it was warmer with lighter wind – we got to race in all kinds of weather. It was a great regatta, said Kaźmierczak.

– I really enjoyed it, even though it was tough. I prefer light wind, so today was great for me, added Wilandt.

– It was very cold and wet yesterday, I didn’t like that. But today was sunny with just enough breeze – I had a great time. I’d love to come back here. The views are beautiful, the race committee was excellent, and the whole venue is just fantastic, concluded Laura Łyko, runner-up among U13 girls.

Full results available at: https://events.pya.org.pl/puchar-polskiego-zwiazku-zeglarskiego-cz-i,e126

The second part of the Polish Sailing Association Cup starts tomorrow in Krynica Morska, with doublehanded classes 420, Cadet and L’Equipe entering the fray.