2026 eSailing World Championship Grand Final line-up confirmed

Held on 19-20 April 2026, the three Semifinal events brought together some of the world’s best virtual sailors in a battle for the final qualification spots. Throughout the day, sailors from all over the world produced dramatic racing, close finishes and standout performances to book their places in the Grand Final.

One additional spot in the final remains available via the Host Nation MNA Wildcard.

Semifinal 1: Pepitõ, Yuko and Maradonnie advance

The first Semifinal saw a commanding performance from France’s Pepitõ (Tim Carpentier), who built an early lead in the standings through a series of consistent top finishes.

Heading into the final races, Pepitõ remained composed under pressure and secured qualification in first place.

Behind him, the battle for the remaining qualification spots stayed open until the closing stages. Yuko_31657 (Yuko Furukawa) from Japan also qualified after a strong Medal Series performance, sealing his place with an excellent second-place finish in the final race.

VIT – Maradonnie (Donald Gillies) from Great Britain secured the last qualifying place.

Semifinal 2: FIV Rock, Carlos Parejo and FSC Kazuki qualify

The second Semifinal proved to be one of the most closely contested of the series, with positions changing throughout the event.

Japan’s FSC Kazuki (Kazuki Miyamae) delivered a composed and consistent performance under pressure to secure qualification.

Spain’s CNS Carlos Parejo (Carlos Parejo) also booked his place in the Grand Final after a strong overall campaign.

FIV Rock (Rocco Guerra) from Italy, after an average qualification stage, delivered an outstanding Medal Series performance – winning the final race and securing the last available place in the Grand Final.

Semifinal 3: First USA sailor in the final

The final Semifinal completed the Grand Final line-up and showcased the global nature of eSailing, with sailors from the USA, Europe and East Asia competing remotely from around the world.

France’s Asere (Tristan Peron) booked his place in the Grand Final, continuing an impressive Championship run with his sixth appearance in the Final.

The second spot was taken by Portugal’s zemendes-RS (Jose Mendes) after a strong final race, finishing in second position.

USA’s Kurt@Vri (Kurt Stuebe) completed the list of confirmed finalists after qualifying by just one point. A strong Medal Series, including victory in the final race, secured him the last spot in the Grand Final and made him the first American sailor to qualify.

Qualified sailors for the 2026 Grand Final

The nine winners of the Semifinals join FC RICH (Yuya Takubo) from Japan, winner of the Overall Ranking, and Kanako_ (Kanako Miki), also from Japan, winner of the Steering the Course event, in the Grand Final.

2026 eSailing World Championship Grand Finalists:

• Pepitõ (FRA)
• Asere (FRA)
• FC RICH (JPN)
• Kanako_ (JPN)
• Yuko_31657 (JPN)
• FSC Kazuki (JPN)
• VIT-Maradonnie (GBR)
• FIV Rock (ITA)
• Zemendes-RS (POR)
• CNS Carlos Parejo (ESP)
• Kurt@Vri (USA)
• One Host Nation MNA Wildcard

A truly global final

The 2026 Grand Final will feature 12 sailors from seven nations across three continents, highlighting the global reach and competitiveness of eSailing.

Among the finalists are returning champions, experienced campaigners and rising stars, setting the stage for one of the most competitive Grand Finals to date.

Attention now turns to the final showdown, where one sailor will be crowned the 2026 eSailing World Champion.