Dutch Water Week announces dates and Notice of Race 2026

Olympic classes will race from May 30 to June 7 on the IJmeer in Almere

Last weekend, Dutch Water Week announced the dates and Notice of Race (NOR) for the Olympic classes in 2026. From May 30 to June 7, 2026, the world’s best sailors, surfers, and kiters will compete on the IJmeer near Almere for titles, ranking points, and visibility at the highest level. The early publication of the NOR gives teams, coaches, and associations clarity for their planning ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Off the coast of Almeerderstrand (photographer: World Sailing / Sailing Energy – high-resolution image at the bottom of the press release)

Dutch Water Week once again a key part of the Sailing Grand Slam

In 2026, Dutch Water Week (DWW) will return as a permanent fixture on the Sailing Grand Slam calendar. The Olympic classes will once again race from the harbor at Almeerderstrand, rather than in the city center of Almere. This will provide athletes with an environment that is fully geared towards top-level sport, with cleaner race courses and smoother logistics on and around the water.

“To ensure fair and predictable racing, Dutch Water Week has an official permit to cut aquatic plants this year,” says event manager Linda Bomhof. “This allows us to remove the waterweed from the race courses in a targeted manner. That makes a world of difference for both the sailors and the race committee.”

“As the most water-rich city in the Netherlands, Dutch Water Week fits seamlessly with Almere today and tomorrow. We are literally bringing Olympic-level sport to our city’s beach, showing the world what Almere can do on the water,” says Paul Tang, alderman for sport.

Recreational sport and sports promotion (photo: organization)

About Dutch Water Week

Dutch Water Week is an annual water sports event on and around the IJmeer near Almere. Top-level sports and recreational sports, innovation, and entertainment come together in a week in which the Netherlands presents itself as a leading water (sports) country. The Olympic classes form a fixed pillar within the program, with a strong focus on the experience for fans, partners, and the media.

More about the Sailing Grand Slam

“With Sailing Grand Slam, we bring all ten Olympic sailing disciplines together in a single international Grand Prix circuit in Europe and the United States,” says series spokesperson Simon Keijzer. “Through a single joint ranking, which also includes the world championships, we are consciously building towards an annual Sailing Grand Slam Final, where the best athletes from all disciplines compete for the overall title, prize money, and global visibility for the sport. Summarized in one sentence: One Sport. One Story. One World. By the athletes. For the sport.”

The SGS calendar starts with the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca (March 27–April 4) and the Semaine Olympique Française – Hyères (April 18–25), followed by Dutch Water Week in Almere (May 30–June 7) and Kieler Woche in Germany (June 20–28). The series concludes with the Pre-Olympic event in Los Angeles, the Long Beach & Los Angeles OCR (July 13–August 7).