LT-EM Windsurfing Championships on Lake Attersee: 50% racing, 50% enjoyable

Who’s coming alongside? Who’s going when? Can anybody give me a elevate? What’s the climate prone to be like? Has anybody been there earlier than? Where’s the campsite? Why on earth is petrol so costly? Questions upon questions – and a European Championship that kicks off months upfront in a chat group. But on the finish of May, issues actually obtained underway: a small German browsing caravan set off for Austria. Nearly 30 sailors, starting from youngsters to former Olympians, from title contenders to regatta newcomers. The plan: 50% racing · 50% enjoyable!

Right from our first dinner collectively, it grew to become clear that this equation works out barely otherwise for everybody, but nonetheless provides up. Because with Windsurfer LT, it’s not nearly who wins the race or the occasion. It’s in regards to the folks you prepare with, journey with and, ultimately, spend far too lengthy ready for the wind with. The European Championships had been subsequently much less a single occasion than the fruits of a complete neighborhood’s journey.

Preparations started as early as the top of the 2025 season. More periods on the Windsurfer LT, in each sturdy winds and lightweight winds. The light-wind days, specifically, are a psychological self-discipline in their very own proper. You look out on the water, look out on the water once more, and hope that three knots have secretly crept in over the previous ten seconds. On your individual, you’d typically simply keep on the seashore on days like that. But in a bunch, it’s a distinct story. Our Wednesday regatta is marked within the calendar similar to soccer coaching: the appointment’s set, so off we go onto the water. Whether it’s a drive 2 or a drive 7, whether or not it’s high pace, your first glide or begin coaching – everybody’s there, everybody learns from everybody else and everybody pushes the others on.

​Retro Board: The Allure of the Windsurfer LT – A Hit or a Flop?

In Wilhelmshaven The membership now owns eleven full LT membership boards, full with rigs, which members can use freed from cost. Around 30 riders additionally compete away from house. The native Wednesday collection usually attracts round 100 entrants throughout all board lessons within the annual rankings. My coaching thrives on this too. The health club, highway biking, begins, manoeuvres and lots of hours in mild winds: alone, it’s typically laborious to remain motivated. Together, ‘There’s probably not sufficient wind at this time’ merely turns into: ‘We’re beginning at 6 pm!’

At Easter, greater than 30 surfers from the Netherlands and throughout Germany gathered for a coaching camp in Lauwersoog. Six days of coaching – for a few of us, even two weeks. There was loads of wind: a dream for the professionals, however at occasions extra like a survival course for the up-and-comers. During the day, it was time on the water; within the evenings, manoeuvre evaluation – the second when tales are exaggerated and sore muscular tissues downplayed. In the top, it’s at all times a superb day’s browsing, one way or the other! So, through the coaching camp, what had began as particular person plans for the season became a shared undertaking for many people. The journey to the European Championships is the subsequent stage.

Lake Attersee is located within the Salzkammergut area of Upper Austria. It is round 23 kilometres lengthy, covers an space of roughly 47 sq. kilometres and is as much as 171 metres deep. The water shimmers in Caribbean hues and is of drinking-water high quality. To describe it as a picture-postcard setting is sort of an understatement. The lake is legendary for the ‘Rosenwind’. In sunny climate, this thermal wind normally builds from the north-east from noon onwards and sometimes reaches round 4 Beaufort. It can intensify on the mountain slopes, significantly on the japanese facet between Kammer and Weyregg. In concept, that feels like 15 knots on daily basis and carefree racing. Many of us subsequently arrived a number of days early to stand up to hurry and familiarise ourselves with the crusing space.

But as everyone knows, in follow the climate typically takes us unexpectedly: it had really snowed within the week earlier than we arrived. The sudden rise in temperature threw the climate fully into disarray, and the ‘Rosenwind’ was evidently working from house. Even the Star-class boats solely managed two races throughout their regatta on the weekend. So, what had been purported to be two days of crusing became two days of sometimes carrying gear and the odd highway bike journey to the café on the north financial institution. Those had been moments after we briefly contemplated the logic of regatta crusing: again house, we now have a great place. And but we make investments cash, vacation days and lots of hours’ drive simply to attend for the wind right here. We’re all fully mad – however mad collectively.

The European Championships kicked off with a gap ceremony: flag bearers, music, a buffet and groups from 16 nations. Germany fielded the second-largest staff after the Netherlands. After a fast check-in, we headed for the weigh-in. As we’re all driving on similar gear, weight lessons guarantee honest races. I’d placed on some weight over the winter and ended up in Group B, and my purpose was clear – effectively, virtually: high ten for certain, ideally a spot on the rostrum. But European champion could be sensible too. So I’d intentionally set myself a versatile goal. I didn’t know lots of the worldwide sailors but and located it laborious to gauge them. That modified on the first windward mark. I used to be in third place, labored my method additional up the sphere and received the race. My versatile purpose grew to become a set one: European Champion!

The second race introduced me straight again all the way down to earth. After a poor first upwind leg, I didn’t attain the windward mark till I used to be round tenth place. In the top, I completed sixth. In the third race, I secured one other victory. For me, it was the beginning I’d at all times dreamed of! This was adopted by a improbable dinner and a convivial get-together on the terrace. Photos from the primary races had been already being proven on a giant display, and all of us had amusing collectively at one of the best facial expressions.

Over the subsequent few days, we pinned our hopes on thermals: organising, watching, suspending the beginning, watching once more. At occasions, there have been extra opinions than gusts. Instead of the promised southerly breeze, we principally had shifting winds of seven to fifteen knots. In one other course race, I used to be within the lead however missed the appropriate moments tactically and dropped again to 3rd place. When the wind grew to become too inconsistent for additional course races on the second day, it was time for the freestyle session. Much like within the PWA, that is contested utilizing a knockout system. I certified for the top-four remaining. There, every competitor will get a three-minute ‘super session’ on their very own. I used to be up final, and after a few minute and a half the wind died down, which positively didn’t assist my strikes.

Even so, the entire session became an actual spectacle. The jetties had been packed, each transfer was cheered on – and, after all, each fall too – no matter which rider from which nation occurred to be on the water on the time. It was a large occasion and offered loads of inspiration for brand new strikes.

The following day noticed no races in any respect. Nevertheless, the journey by no means stood nonetheless. We talked store, fine-tuned our gear, measured boards and sails, loved extra glorious meals, had a beer or two on the membership terrace and watched sunsets that made us neglect each missed race astonishingly shortly. Whilst ready out on the water, we cracked jokes, confirmed off freestyle tips and, from a protected distance, instructed the race organisers precisely what they wanted to do higher – a core ability of each regatta sailor.

At the marathon, all of the teams set off collectively: greater than 120 sails on the beginning line, a goal time of round 90 minutes and only a breath of wind. My plan to take the popular pin finish failed fully. I used to be too late for one facet and much too far again for the opposite. In brief: I’d fully messed it up. So I powered via the center, to the place (virtually) no one needed to go. It paid off. At the primary mark I used to be eighth, on the leeward mark fifth. On the ultimate leg, my coronary heart price shot previous the 200 mark as soon as once more. At the end, I got here third general and first in Group B. The months spent within the health club, on the bike and on the water had been abruptly now not simply preparation, however this one second – the second when you already know it’s all been price it. In the background, I heard Bruce Kendall shout: “The guy with the pink sail is a pumping machine.” I’d even have shed a tear or two of pleasure at that second.

​‘I was too late for one side, and far too far behind for the other. In short: I’ve fully messed it up.’

And one of the best bit? With greater than 120 rivals, there are inevitably numerous analyses of the outcomes and evenings spent discussing which facet was higher and what positively ought to have been accomplished otherwise. It’s this shared musing that provides rise to one of the best tales. Especially these the place the board is meticulously repaired within the night, solely so that you can realise the subsequent time out on the water that no one had remembered the bleed screw. Stories the place it generally takes some time earlier than everybody can chuckle about it once more.

On the ultimate day, we waited proper up till the final minute. It was an actual nail-biter. Just earlier than the beginning window closed, we headed out onto the water as soon as extra: one remaining race. I obtained off to begin, however the upwind leg was a catastrophe. I missed three wind shifts, was in tenth place on the first mark and greater than 200 metres behind the leaders. In the top, sixth place within the race was sufficient to safe the European Championship title in weight class B. A dream come true.

Of course, we keep in mind the head-to-head battles and the finishes. But what stays with us much more are the issues in between: the journey, the surroundings, the meals we shared, unforgettable moments on the water and the time we spent collectively. More than 120 rivals from 16 nations gave it their all on the water and sat down collectively on the identical desk within the night to lift a glass to 1 one other.

“50% racing, 50% fun” is subsequently not an actual system. Some flip up with 90 per cent ambition, others with 100 per cent enthusiasm for an incredible week. What issues is that everybody is on the identical beginning line. The LT doesn’t simply organise races, but in addition social get-togethers, coaching teams, journeys and friendships.

In 2026, there are 14 rating regattas on the calendar in Germany, and greater than 60 sailors are already listed within the nationwide rankings. From 7 to 9 August, Wilhelmshaven will host Germany’s greatest occasion – the Windsurfer Festival – that includes racing, tenting, barbecues and reside music. So the neighborhood is on the transfer once more. For info and registration, go to manage2sail.com