Swiss Robin Maeder dominates the Campione del Garda race course with 4 out of 8 race victories
12 April 2026
Swiss Robin Maeder dominates the Campione del Garda race course with 4 out of 8 race victories
Final Press Release - Campione del Garda, April 12, 2026
A-Cat Easter Regatta 2026 - Robin Maeder wins the eighth edition
The Swiss sailor dominates Campione del Garda with 4 race wins out of 8 sailed
The eighth edition of the A-Cat Easter Regatta concluded on Sunday, April 12, 2026 in Campione del Garda, organized by Univela under the auspices of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV). Three days of racing, eight races sailed and very different wind conditions challenged 26 sailors from nine nations. Overall victory goes to Swiss sailor Robin Maeder (SUI 007, CNB) with just 10 net points, ahead of Poland's Michal Korneszczuk (14 pts) and Spain's Toni Ballester (17 pts).
Three days, three different conditions
Friday, April 10 - Day 1: The regatta opened under sunny skies with unusually light winds between 5 and 8 knots. Three races were successfully completed, with three different winners: Robin Maeder (Race 1), Toni Ballester (Race 2) and Paul Sevestre (Race 3).
Saturday, April 11 - Day 2: The most spectacular day of the event. Medium to strong winds allowed all A-Cats to get up on their foils, reaching impressive speeds of up to 25 knots on a broad reach. Robin Maeder won Races 4 and 5, while Korneszczuk claimed Race 6 and moved up the overall standings.
Sunday, April 12 - Day 3: Light winds returned for the final day, but the Race Committee successfully completed two more races to close out the event. Czech sailor Vladislav Ptasnik won Race 7, while Maeder sealed his overall victory with a final win in Race 8.
The podium
| Rank | Sailor | Nation | Club | Net pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robin Maeder | Switzerland | CNB (SUI 007) | 10 |
| 2 | Michal Korneszczuk | Poland | Yacht Club Gdansk (POL 111) | 14 |
| 3 | Toni Ballester | Spain | Real Club Nautico de Valencia (ESP 75) | 17 |
Overall results - Top 9
| # | Sail | Sailor | Nation | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUI 007 | Robin Maeder | Switzerland | CNB | 1 | (4) | 3 | 1 | 1 | (5) | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | POL 111 | Michal Korneszczuk | Poland | Yacht Club Gdansk | 2 | (7) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | (5) | 2 | 14 |
| 3 | ESP 75 | Toni Ballester | Spain | Real Club Nautico de Valencia | 3 | 1 | 2 | (4) | 4 | 3 | (11) | 4 | 17 |
| 4 | GER 6 | Rainer Bohrer | Germany | CVA | 5 | 6 | (7) | (8) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 23 |
| 5 | SUI 316 | Paul Sevestre | Switzerland | CNP | (11) | 3 | 1 | (7) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 24 |
| 6 | CZE 1 | Vladislav Ptasnik | Czech Republic | YK Jestrabi | (8) | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | (11) | 29 |
| 7 | GER 95 | Roeland Wentholt | Germany | BSF | 4 | OCS | 4 | 6 | 7 | DNF | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| 8 | SUI 307 | Loic Dony | Switzerland | CN Bevaix | 7 | OCS | 6 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 6 | (12) | 40 |
| 9 | ITA 3 | Paolo Penco 1st ITA | Italy | Ass. Nautica Sebina | 9 | 2 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | 41 |
Numbers in brackets = discarded score. OCS = on course side (premature start). DNF = did not finish. Full results for all 26 competitors available at: www.campioneunivela.it
Robin Maeder: dominance across three days
Swiss sailor Robin Maeder (SUI 007, CNB) is the undisputed champion of this edition. Four race wins (R1, R4, R5 and R8) across three days and a variety of conditions - from light breeze to strong foiling winds - showed the full extent of his class. With just 10 net points, his victory is as clear as it is well deserved.
Best Italian: Paolo Penco
The top Italian performer was Paolo Penco (ITA 3 - Associazione Nautica Sebina, Lake Iseo, Brescia), who finished 9th overall with 41 net points. A former Italian A-Cat champion, Penco once again proved his standing on the international stage in a highly competitive fleet.
Event at a glance
| Edition | VIII |
| Dates | April 10-12, 2026 |
| Competitors | 26 sailors from 9 nations |
| Races sailed | 8 (3 + 3 + 2) |
| Overall winner | Robin Maeder (Switzerland) - 10 net points |
| Best Italian | Paolo Penco - 9th overall - 41 net points |
| Race wins | Maeder 4, Ballester 1, Sevestre 1, Korneszczuk 1, Ptasnik 1 |
Univela - Sailing Centre Campione del Garda
www.campioneunivela.it - Organized under the auspices of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV)
