The weekend of 17th-18th of August saw 20 Yngling gather for this year’s Norwegian Championship. Venue was a possible bidder to the YWC 2029 Tønsberg Seilforening as organiser. Located on the west side of the outer Oslofjord area and as a long term solid organiser of races, everything was laid out for a weekend of Yngling fun. Also our larger sister, the Soling, was holding their Norwegian Championship at Tønsberg Yachtclub this weekend. And as if that wasn’t enough, also the mini 2.4m class was having a ranking race. The Soling and Yngling shared race course, albeit with separate starts off course. The 2.4s used the same area but had their own separate course and marks. But in total some 50 boats were racing this weekend.
The Yngling could welcome long distance travelers as well, as NED 350 sailed by Renier, Anna and Karin. A very welcome visit from our Dutch friends, adding skills and joy to the fleet.
After two days of thigh and fair racing, the winner was NOR 354 Hotline, sailed by Eivind Melleby and Helle and Ole Jørgen Undrum, Eivind repeating his 2022 Yngling Norwegian title. As 4th. in the Star class in London 2012, certainly showing the quality of the field. The 2024 silver was captured by a duo-sailed NOR 414, with Soling Olympic bronze medallist 2000 and Yngling World Champion 1990 Espen Stokkeland and Beijing 2008 Yngling sailor Alexandra Koefoed. 3rd and bronze went to 2023 World Champions NOR 405 Fetter Fart with Joakim, Andreas and Kjell Eirik.
4th went to 2022 silver medallist Erik Holter and crew in NOR 413, while we notice sort of a comeback from 2017 europeans bronze medallist team Svein Andre Hol, Eivinf Mellingen and Fabian Bruvik. 2023 Norwegian champion NOR 261 followed on a 6th place. Teams are heating up towards 2026 Worlds at Askøy it seems. In addition to NED 350 at 7th. we also notice 49fx helmswoman Helene Næss, fresh out at 4th in the Paris Olympics, also sailed to an 8th. position in this year’s Yngling Norwegians.
In addition to showing a high level competition, the class also shows healthy signs of a slight increase in participation over the last years of national races, and also presented a widespread geographic representation with boats from Bergen, Kristiandsand, lake Mjøsa, Færder/Tønsberg, Oslo and Horten. We look forward to welcoming you all to the Worlds as Askøy 2026 in Norway, and possibly a 50 year celebrational World Championship in Tønsberg i 2029 – also a 40 year anniversary since Tønsberg Yachtclub hosted the worlds in 1989.
Kjell Eirik I Henanger, for Norwegian Yngling Club
Sailing photos by: Tønsberg Seilforening, Johan Wildhagen.