Scheidt wins both races on the final day to take the Star European title in Medemblik

Robert Scheidt is the 2026 Star Class European champion. The title was sealed on Saturday, on the waters of the IJsselmeer in Medemblik, the Netherlands, after a final day in which the Brazilian and American crew Austin Sperry won both races on offer.

It was not the most comfortable scenario to start the day. Scheidt went into the closing stage one point behind the German pair, and needed a flawless performance. That is exactly what he delivered. Saturday's two wins closed the account at four victories in the week's seven races and turned around a championship that had been tightly packed.

The final count

Scheidt and Sperry finished on 18 points, six clear of Germany's Nick Heuwinkel and Jesper Spehr, who scored 24 and also took the under-30 champions' trophy. Italy's Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi completed the podium on 33.

The turnaround in the first race of the day

What settled the title was a tactical call in the first of Saturday's two races, and Scheidt made a point of describing it.

"In the first race they were ahead of us on the final stretch, but we made the right decision to tack early, taking advantage of the wind shift. Suddenly we saw the finish line ahead of us and managed to pass five boats," he said. "That result put us in a better position, but they kept fighting until the end of the second race."

The rival pushed to the very last leg. "The German team took us to the limit, and I take my hat off to them," the Brazilian acknowledged. "Today was very hard here in Medemblik, especially physically. We had strong wind, a very tough day."

Scheidt also credited the turnaround to his crew and to the way they built through the week. "We started the championship with ups and downs, mainly at the starts, but we improved every day. Austin did an exceptional job all week. It has been great sailing with my friend Austin Sperry."

A traditional championship, on difficult water

The Europeans drew 70 boats from 17 countries, a figure that confirms Medemblik as one of the classic addresses of world sailing. Over six days the IJsselmeer served up everything, from sun and steady breeze to heavy rain and unstable gusts, the kind of variation that separates consistency from luck.

The Star is one of the oldest and most demanding keelboat classes in sailing. It is two crew on a heavy boat with a large sail plan, one that demands fine trimming technique and physical fitness in equal measure. It was an Olympic class for decades, up to the London 2012 Games, and remained one of the most contested championships on the calendar even after leaving the Olympic programme.

The second European title, and the first was different

This is Scheidt's second European title in the Star. The first came in 2019, in Riva del Garda, Italy, alongside Henry "Maguila" Boening, and had a finish for the memory: that year the decisive stage was raced as knockouts, and in the final race Scheidt recovered around 30 metres on the last leg to overtake the French pair Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot almost at the finish line.

In 2026 the format was different, fleet racing with points added up across the week, but the script kept the same signature: decide it at the end, under pressure, and turn it around.

A family season

The title carries a context worth noting. It arrives just weeks after Erik Scheidt, Robert's son, won the ILCA 6 world and European championships in the under-19 category. In a single season, father and son reached the top of the European podium, in different classes.

For anyone who follows Brazilian sailing, the surname needs no introduction. Scheidt is the greatest name in the country's history in the sport: five Olympic medals, gold in Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 in the Laser, silver in Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008, bronze in London 2012, plus multiple world titles in the Laser and in the Star itself.

What comes next

The calendar gives no respite. The pair's next target is the Star World Championship, set for November, in Miami. Given the way Medemblik ended, with the Brazilian settling it on the final day and in the last legs, the worlds promise to be another chapter in a career that is already long and shows no sign of slowing down.