Classic keelboats
Poland's Aspire Wins the 5.5 Metre Worlds in Lavrion
Published · Last checked October 2026
Aspire (POL 17) won the 2026 5.5 Metre World Championship in Lavrion, Greece (4 to 9 October), with Przemek Gacek helming, Olympic champion Mateusz Kusznierewicz in the middle and Kilian Weise on the bow. It completes a climb from bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025.
A week of waiting
Strong winds wiped out six of the nine scheduled days. Eight races were sailed in all, with the final day finishing on schedule in an 8 to 10 knot southerly.
| Place | Boat | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aspire (POL 17) | 16 |
| 2 | Artemis (NOR 57) | 18 |
| 3 | Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66/USA) | 27 |
| 4 | Ali-Baba (SUI 224) | 28 |
| 5 | Girls on Film (GBR 41) | 32 |
"It's a great feeling to be world champions," said Kusznierewicz, the 1996 Olympic Finn gold medallist. Weise put it down to teamwork.
What is a 5.5 Metre?
The 5.5 Metre is a development class designed in 1949 to a formula rule rather than a fixed design, so boats vary within the rule. It was an Olympic class from 1952 to 1968 and still draws top sailors to its open-keelboat racing.
Who is Mateusz Kusznierewicz?
Mateusz Kusznierewicz is one of Poland's best-known sailors. He won Olympic gold in the Finn single-handed dinghy at Atlanta 1996 and bronze in the Finn at Athens 2004, and later raced the Star keelboat at a world-class level. Adding a 5.5 Metre world title shows how many top Olympic sailors keep racing in classic keelboat classes.
What is a metre-rule yacht?
Metre-rule classes such as the 5.5 Metre, 6 Metre and 12 Metre aren't named after their length. The number is the result of a formula combining length, sail area and displacement. Designers can trade one against another, which keeps development alive while boats stay closely matched. The 12 Metre raced for the America's Cup from 1958 to 1987.
Lavrion, Greece
Lavrion, on the south-east tip of Attica near Cape Sounion, is exposed to the strong northerly Meltemi winds of the Aegean, which explains why six of the nine scheduled days were lost to strong winds.
Key facts
- Event: 2026 5.5 Metre World Championship
- Venue: Lavrion, Greece, 4 to 9 October 2026
- Winner: Aspire (POL 17): Przemek Gacek, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Kilian Weise
- Races sailed: 8
- Runner-up: Artemis (NOR 57)