Day 1 Complete – Aftershock Sets the Pace at Hankø
Four races were completed on the opening day of the 2026 11 Metre One Design World Championship, and the championship is already delivering close, tactical racing in the beautiful waters off Hankø.
Australia’s Team Aftershock, helmed by Mark Griffith and Michael Lockley, takes the overnight lead after an impressive and remarkably consistent scoreline of 1-2-2-2, finishing the day on just 7 points.
The battle behind the leaders is intense. Norway’s Bluebarry Guys (Dag Usterud) sits second on 17 points, just ahead of Spin (Anders Wilhelmsen) on 18 points. Only one point further back is Watergate, skippered by Erlend Munkeby, after bouncing back strongly from a ninth place in the opening race with race results of 1st, 4th and 5th.
With only 12 points separating the top six teams, the fight for the World Championship title is wide open. The fleet has already seen different winners, tight mark roundings and plenty of tactical battles, promising even more exciting racing as the championship continues.
A special thank you goes to the race management team, volunteers and the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club for delivering an excellent first day of racing.
We look forward to another fantastic day on the water tomorrow.
Top 5 after Day 1
🥇 Team Aftershock (AUS) – 7 pts
🥈 Bluebarry Guys (NOR) – 17 pts
🥉 Spin (NOR) – 18 pts
4️⃣ Watergate (NOR) – 19 pts
5️⃣ Squid (NOR) – 21 pts
– Steve Mconaghy