Bánki Student Among the Top Competitors at the Finn Dinghy European Championship

Elemér Péter Haidekker, a student of the Bánki Faculty, achieved an outstanding result at the 2026 Open Finn Dinghy European Championship, held between 20 and 27 June in Gdynia, Poland, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, by the Bay of Gdańsk.

The Finn Dinghy is a single-handed Olympic sailing class. The special feature of an Open European Championship is that, in addition to competitors from European countries, athletes from outside Europe are also eligible to participate under the conditions set out in the Notice of Race, making the field highly competitive at an international level.

The event brought together 103 sailors from 17 nations. Elemér Péter Haidekker finished 8th in the overall ranking, securing a place among the top ten competitors. In the Finn Dinghy class, sailors are evaluated based on the overall results list, while age categories are also assessed separately. He currently competes in the Senior category, which corresponds to the overall ranking.

Sailing has been a defining part of his life since childhood. His father introduced him to the sport and helped him fall in love with it. He received his first single-handed dinghy at the age of seven and has been actively competing ever since. He completes most of his training at Lake Balaton, while during the winter season, when water training is not possible in Hungary, he prepares at training camps abroad.

Throughout his career, he has won the Hungarian Championship eight times, earned membership in the Olympic national team squad on several occasions, and competed successfully at World and European Championships. In addition to Finn Dinghy sailing, he has also prepared for the Blue Ribbon with a team sailing one of the fastest boats in the world, an AC45 catamaran, with which they ultimately achieved 3rd place.

His preparation was supported primarily by his father, who also competes in the same boat class. Their relationship is unique: they are both opponents and training partners. They prepared for the European Championship together, with the professional support of a former Olympic sailor from Argentina.

The competition required serious physical preparation, as the Baltic Sea is known for its strong waves and windy conditions. For this reason, endurance, strength, and achieving the appropriate racing weight played a key role in the preparation. However, during the week of the championship, a heatwave affected much of Europe, so instead of the expected strong-wind and extreme conditions, most of the races took place in lighter winds. This was less favourable for him, as his height, weight, and racing style are better suited to strong-wind and challenging conditions.

His goal was to remain among the world’s elite and finish in the top ten, even while completing his university studies. He successfully achieved this goal, although he noted that a podium finish did not feel out of reach either. One of the most memorable moments of the championship came in the final race, which he led from the start. Before the final leg, however, the jury penalised him for illegal boat rocking, requiring him to complete a 720-degree penalty turn. As a result, he dropped from 1st to 3rd place. Although he was still satisfied with finishing the race in third, he felt the decision was debatable, as in his view the movement of the boat was caused by the waves rather than intentional rocking.

Alongside sport, completing his studies is currently a key priority: his main focus is submitting his thesis and passing his final state examination. After that, he plans to begin his on-water preparation in February in La Rochelle, France, for the next European Championship, which will take place on the Atlantic Ocean, in the Bay of Biscay.

His goal for the next continental championship is to achieve a podium finish. The land-based part of his preparation has already begun.

We congratulate Elemér Péter Haidekker on his outstanding international result and wish him every success in his studies and in preparing for the next racing season.