Finn Grand Slam series heads for thrilling finale

by Robert Deaves 15 Sep 07:40 PDT

With just two more events to complete the 2026 Finn Grand Slam, Bas de Waal remains at the top with John Greenwood in second. Andreas Gillwald has moved up to third after the Grand Slam Silvaplana and Grand Slam Berlin.

The Grand Slam events on Silvaplana and in Berlin events both attracted good numbers and the series now includes 331 sailors from 23 nations.

Gillwald climbs to third from 17th, while other big movers include Paul Carrington from 15th to 4th, Laurent Chapuis from 18th to 5th, Simon Bovay from 40th to 8th, Christoph Burger from 32nd to 9th and Jonas Jung from 45th to 14th. Results from three events are used to calculate the current ranking while four will be used once the series is complete.

Leg 6: Grand Slam Silvaplana

Leg 6, the Swiss Championship, was won by Simon Bovay after a dominant performance with five race wins from seven races. Peter Theurer was second and Christoph Burger third for a full Swiss podium. There were 54 entries from eight countries.

Undoubtedly the most beautiful destination on the 2026 World Tour for Finns Silvaplana, two days were lost because the Maloja wind did not appear, but the two days of racing possible were exceptional for imagery and competition.

The 2026 German Finn Championship was great success for the club (Seglervereinigung 1903 Berlin e.V.) and all the participants, and André Budzien is the German Champion again. There were 68 entries from six nations taking part.

The Schwerin sailor secured the title last week on River Havel and Wannsee, finishing ahead of local sailors Nicolas Thierse and Fabian Lemmel in second and third place. The rather challenging conditions from 5 to 16 knots with rather stable directions kept the championship exciting right up to the very end. Unfortunately, the last day was without any wind at all, so the top four being separated by only 5 points could not sail their show down in the last two of ten races.

Medemblik and Malcesine to close series

The 2026 Grand Slam series concludes with Grand Slam Medemblik at the Dutch Nationals the Grand Slam Malcesine for the Finn Cup in October. More details here

2026 World Tour for Finns Grand Slam

The inaugural WTF Grand Slam is a European-focused circuit featuring nine events across eight nations from April to October, showcasing some iconic venues and events. With the best four results counting toward the overall ranking, the series will ultimately lead into the Grand Final at the 2027 Finn Gold Cup in La Rochelle.

After Silvaplana, Leg 7 starts almost immediately with the Grand Slam Berlin this week.

The ranking so far can be found here