English
Photo: Jānis Spurdziņš
This weekend, on May 30, the new sailing season will officially open at the Port of Riga with the RIGA SEASON OPENING REGATTA 2026. It promises to be an eventful and exciting season for professional athletes, sailing enthusiasts, and young water sports fans.
The RIGA SEASON OPENING REGATTA is being organized for the fifth consecutive year, bringing sailing enthusiasts together after the winter for a festive competition and symbolically kicking off the new season on the water. The regatta is organized by the Riga Sports Sailing Center, inviting sailors from yacht clubs in Riga and across Latvia to take part in this popular event.
This year is a special one for the Riga Sports Sailing Center - it is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, it has become a significant center for the development of sailing and water sports in Riga, uniting athletes, enthusiasts, and the younger generation in a unified environment and organizing a variety of sporting events throughout the season.
One of the most significant events is the RIGA SAILING CUP, which has been held since 2014 and traditionally takes place during the Riga City Festival in August. In 2022, an old tradition - the OPENING and CLOSING REGATTAS of the Riga sailing season - was revived. Last year, the regatta calendar was expanded to include a new Daugava regatta -the ĶĪPSALA CUP, which will take place on July 26 this year.
In addition to competitions, the Riga Sports Sailing Center organizes regular training regattas throughout the season in the Daugava waters opposite Ķīpsala, where sailing teams hone their skills. Anyone interested - regardless of age or prior experience - has the opportunity to participate in practical sailing lessons and get a closer look at the sport of sailing.
Meanwhile, on June 18, the 10th yacht regatta organized by the Riga City Yacht Club, “100 NAUTICAL MILES IN A DUO,” will kick off in the Port of Riga. As usual, sea yachts with two-person crews are invited to participate in the regatta. The race distance will be 100 nautical miles, and the planned route will be set for a 24-hour race, which will follow the route Riga – Skulte Port – Mērsrags Port – Riga.
This year the Port of Riga and the Auda Yacht Club will once again host Latvia’s largest sailing regatta - the GULF OF RIGA REGATTA (GORR). In 2026, it will take place for the ninth time, from June 28 to July 4, on the Riga – Kihnu - Pärnu route. The regatta also serves as the Latvian Open Offshore Sailing Championship and the Livonia Cup Challenge, which annually gathers approximately 500 participants and more than 60 yachts from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and other countries in the Port of Riga.
The GORR regatta is organized by the Latvian Offshore Sailing Association in cooperation with partners from Estonia - “Saaremaa Merispordi Selts” and the Pärnu Yacht Club. Year after year, GORR attracts more and more athletes, the media, and spectators, becoming one of the most significant events of the sailing season in the Baltic region. On June 28, the GORR opening day, city residents and visitors will enjoy a spectacular sailing yacht parade on the Daugava River, which can be viewed from the Passenger Port area as part of the Riverside Festival.
In August, the Port of Riga will also host a sailing competition for young sailors - the annual RIGA SAILING CUP 2026 regatta for the Optimist, 420, and 470 classes, open for children and young people up to 15 years of age. The competition, which takes place right in the city center near the Vanšu Bridge, is organized by the Riga City Yacht Club and is always an exciting adventure for both young sailors and their fans.
The summer sailing season is the busiest time for sailing lessons for both children and adults. The Port of Riga provides an opportunity to learn the basics of sailing at several yacht clubs. Since 2013, the Riga City Yacht Club has been home to a sailing school for children and young people, where not only sailing skills are developed, but future sailing athletes are trained. Meanwhile, the Auda Yacht Club has been operating a new sailing school since last June, where both children and adult beginners can learn to sail.
As part of its children’s sailing training program, the Auda Yacht Club is organizing several exciting regattas for children in the Optimist class this summer. The “Pīlēnu Cup” on July 8 is a competition for beginners, where, unlike traditional regattas, coaches provide support and advice during the race. Meanwhile, the “Autumn Cup” on October 3 is a navigation regatta where young sailors can step into the role of Masters of large yachts - planning a route, studying the weather forecast, and making decisions for a single start.
The Port of Riga boasts eight equipped yacht berths, and sailing is permitted throughout the port’s waters. The Port of Riga supports and promotes the development of sailing infrastructure to diversify and expand the range of sailing-related services within the port area. Through participation in several EU-co-funded projects, infrastructure has been established and improved at the Ķīpsala Yacht Harbor and the yacht marina at the Riga Sports Sailing Center. Investments in sailing infrastructure have significantly increased the Port of Riga’s both to sailing enthusiasts and tourists, as well as to organizers of sailing events.
Information for media
- [email protected], +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- Mihaila Tāla iela 1, Rīga, Latvija, LV-1045
