From Classroom to Podium: The Croatia Coastal Cup Journey

How a team of students with zero racing experience secured 3rd place in the Austrian ORC Championship.

We sailors love to sail without shoes, for the feeling of freedom and more security when walking and feeling the boat.  However sailing barefoot is dangerous because besides having the possibility of kicking in several metal parts, after a few hours barefoot, with wet feet, you lose sensation in your feet. That’s why Xero Shoes made a great shoe for our team in this competition!

Racing is the ultimate test of seamanship. It strips away the comfort of cruising and demands precision, speed, and endurance. This year, Sailing Munich took on a significant challenge: The Croatia Coastal Cup, a classic middle-distance competition held alongside the Austrian ORC Championship.

The result? A hard-fought 3rd place overall. But the trophy is not the real story here. The story is the crew.

The Team: From Novice to Racer

Unlike our competitors, who have been sailing together for four or five years, the Sailing Munich team was comprised entirely of my students. These are not professional athletes. They are architects, doctors, and lawyers, aged 30 to 50. Before joining our academy, many had never stepped on a boat. They learned to sail with me, earned their certifications, and adopted the ocean as a lifestyle.

I was the only professional on board. The rest was pure student determination.

The Gear: Why We Sailed "Barefoot"

For this championship, we partnered with Xero Shoes to test their HFS model.

Any sailor knows the dilemma of footwear. We love to sail barefoot for the freedom and the tactile connection with the boat. Feeling the deck helps you balance and anticipate movement. However, sailing barefoot in a regatta is dangerous. Wet feet lose sensation after a few hours, and the deck is full of metal cleats waiting to break a toe.

The team found the Xero Shoes to be the perfect compromise. They provided the protection we needed against deck hardware while maintaining that distinct "barefoot" feel. They are incredibly light, and in a sport where agility is everything, having the right grip without the weight of heavy boots made a difference in our maneuvers.

The Race: A Test of Resilience

The final leg was a long endurance race from Split to Biograd. It tested every ounce of our patience.

In the first few hours, the wind completely died. We sat motionless for five hours in the same patch of water. We watched helplessly as boats closer to the coast caught a faint breeze and disappeared into the distance. By the end of the night, we were in dead last.

But ocean racing is not over until you cross the line.

With the dawn came the strong winds we were waiting for. We shifted into recovery mode. One by one, we started reeling in the fleet. We were pushing the boat so hard that we started hearing positive comments from other teams on the radio, surprised by our speed. By 11:00 AM, we had climbed all the way to 3rd position, effectively securing the championship title.

Then, mechanical failure struck. We had a problem with one of the sails. To effect the repair and get back in the race, we lost 15 critical minutes and dropped three positions, finishing the leg in 6th place.

“I’m very proud of all the effort of our team in which they never gave up. Even though it’s a team made up of students and who have never participated in a regatta –I’m the only one on board with regatta experience – it was a fantastic result. We were sailing against other teams that have been sailing together for 4-5 years.  Some German and Austrian teams are interested in training together with our team before starting the 2023 regatta calendar.” 

About the Sailing Munich Team

The Sailing Munich team is made up entirely of students who started sailing with Leonardo at his sailing school. This year’s team featured sailors between the ages of 30-50, including an architect, doctor, and lawyer. They have never sailed before, then learned to sail, obtained their certifications and today have adopted sailing as a lifestyle.

The Sailing Munich Team trained for the Croatian Coastal Cup on Lake Starnbergsee in Munich, and at Lago di Garda in Italy.

The Result

Despite the setback in the final leg, our consistency paid off. After four different competitions, Sailing Munich finished the championship in 3rd Position with 9 points, tied with two other boats.

I am incredibly proud of this effort. My team never gave up, even when we were becalmed and last in the fleet. To achieve a podium finish with a crew of students against veteran racing teams is a fantastic result. It was so impressive that several German and Austrian teams have already approached us, interested in training with Sailing Munich before the 2023 season begins.

This proves what I always teach: sailing is not a mysterious talent. It is a skill built on practice, discipline, and passion.

Fair winds,

Captain Leo Cunha