After four exciting days of competition on the Polish Baltic coast, the Hobie 16 European Championship in Ustka concluded with a festive prizegiving ceremony—despite the final day being cut short due to severe weather.
The final day began with high hopes for one last race that could have changed the overall standings. An additional discard was on the table, and teams were ready for a final battle. Although dark clouds loomed, the conditions were still sailable, and anticipation was high.
However, just before the first warning signal, the race committee had to make the difficult but necessary decision to cancel racing. Thunderstorms, waterspouts, and unstable weather systems moved in rapidly, forcing all teams back to shore for safety reasons.
Once the storm passed, the wind dropped completely. Despite long hours of waiting and watching the skies, no further races could be held. The day—and the championship—came to a close with the results from the previous day standing unchanged.
This meant that the new (and reigning) Hobie 16 European Champions are: Cam Owen & Susanne Ghent from Australia 🇦🇺 – a remarkable achievement for this outstanding team.
Hobie 16 Gold Fleet results:
🥇 Cam Owen / Susanne Ghent (AUS) 20 pts
🥈 Alessandro Cesarini / Eleonora Tabussi (ITA) 37 pts
🥉 Detlef Mohr / Karen Wichardt (GER) 43 pts
Hobie 16 Silver Fleet results:
🥇 Leonardo Fiorito / Veronica Ghinfanti (ITA) 8 pts
🥈 Michalina Klimczak / Adam Skowronski (POL) 19 pts
🥉 Gauthier Maurand / Marius Bartalucci (FRA) 24 pts
The final prizegiving ceremony took place in the evening under beautiful late-summer skies. The sailors were rewarded with trophies, applause, and a stunning sunset—a perfect ending to an unforgettable event full of great racing, camaraderie, and Hobie spirit.
All race results—including all other classes—can be found at ucsdays.com.
Check out the full photo gallery at ucsdays.com/en/galleries.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, organizers, volunteers, and the city of Ustka for making this championship such a success. We wish all teams a safe journey home and look forward to seeing everyone again next year in Maubuisson, France 🇫🇷 for the next Hobie MultiEuropeans!
