Great Britain’s Glen Truswell claimed a commanding victory at the 21st Canoe Sailing World Championship, held on the Baltic shores of Travemunde, Germany.
Originally scheduled for Australia in 2020, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later rescheduled due to high shipping costs.
The venue proved an excellent choice, attracting 34 entries from Europe, North America, and Australia to compete in the high-performance 5.2m international canoe class.
Truswell demonstrated outstanding form throughout the week to secure the gold medal ahead of American Michael Costello and fellow Brit Mike Fenwick.
Racing began on July 22 in challenging conditions, with strong winds pushing the fleet to the 10 m/s limit. The opening race set the tone for the week as it was fast, tactical, and fiercely contested. Costello took the first win, followed closely by British duo Truswell and Chris Hampe.
The following day brought lighter winds and smoother seas, allowing Truswell to find his rhythm. He won both races on July 23, edging Costello in close-fought duels, while Britain’s Mike Fenwick and Germany’s Ole Junge showed consistency to move up the rankings.
Strong winds returned on July 24, when three races were sailed to make up for earlier delays. Truswell and Costello continued their battle, trading wins throughout the day. Truswell’s narrow victory in the final race of the day gave him the edge over Costello by eight points to 10 at the halfway mark.
Day four saw a pause in the main series for the historic New York Canoe Club Challenge Cup, which was first contested in 1886. Great Britain and Germany faced off in a best-of-three match race. After one win apiece, light winds forced a postponement of the decider to the following day. In stronger breeze on July 26, Great Britain’s Alistair Warren secured victory, retaining the Challenge Cup for the defending team.
With the main championship resuming that afternoon, Truswell stamped his dominance by winning all three races, sealing the world title without needing to sail two races on the final day. Calm weather on 27 July ultimately cancelled the remaining races.
Results
- Glen TRUSWELL (GBR) – Gold
- Michael COSTELLO (USA) – Silver
- Mike FENWICK (GBR) – Bronze
In the Peter Nethercot Trophy for older designs, Great Britain swept the podium, led by Simon Hipkin followed by Torsten Marquardt in second and Steve Fleming in third.
The next Canoe Sailing World Championship is scheduled for February 2027 at Jervis Bay Sailing Club, New South Wales, Australia.
