ILCA Under 21 World Championships 2026 in Lanzarote

ILCA Under 21 World Championships 2026 in Lanzarote - Day 3

by Agustín Argüelles 21 Jan 14:41 PST 19-24 January 2026

Slovenia's Luka Zabukovec has moved into the overall lead in ILCA 7, while Ginevra Caracciolo continues to assert her authority in the women's fleet at the end of the qualifying series, which gives way to the finals starting tomorrow.

The 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships have reached the halfway point. The event completed its third day of racing on Wednesday at Marina Rubicón, Lanzarote, marking the final day of the qualifying series in a crucial stage of the championship that determined the Gold fleets for the final series and, with them, the sailors who will continue to fight for the world title.

Racing took place on the course set off Marina Rubicón, with more stable conditions than on previous days, although still demanding. A north-north-westerly breeze of 8 to 12 knots prevailed, accompanied by a gentler current flowing in the same direction as the wind, allowing the full scheduled programme of races to be completed without major disruption.

The ILCA 7 Yellow and Blue fleets and the ILCA 6 fleet launched from 10:45 local time, with racing getting under way shortly after midday. Clean starts and incident-free races characterised the day, during which two races were completed, bringing the qualifying phase of the championship to a close.

ILCA 7: Zabukovec moves into the lead in an exceptionally close battle

With a third and a seventh in today's two races, Slovenia's Luka Zabukovec climbed from second to first overall to become the new provisional leader in ILCA 7, in a standings table that remains extremely tight, with minimal point differences separating the top sailors.

"In the first race I had a good start and, thanks to good boat speed, I was able to finish third. The conditions were very tricky, with a lot of wind shifts, so it was important to make the right decisions," Zabukovec explained ashore. "In the second race I didn't start well, but I managed to read the wind better and gained many places to finish seventh. My goal is to stay consistent. Now, in the Gold fleet, the level will be very high, but the plan is to remain steady and give my best," added the new leader.

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote day 3 - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

Joining Zabukovec in the provisional top three are Italians Antonio Pascali and Antonio Barabino, who move onto the podium positions at the expense of Spaniards Karol Krupski and Fernando Abella, now fourth and fifth respectively. Despite this, at the end of the qualifying series, the sailors from Spain's pre-Olympic and 2032 development squad remain very close to the podium, just three and five points away.

Israel's Rem Pulci, currently seventh overall, was the standout performer of the day with two race wins.

ILCA 6: Caracciolo holds the lead as de Tomás closes in on the podium

In the women's fleet, as in the men's, Italy continues to set the pace. Reigning Under-21 European Champion Ginevra Caracciolo strengthens her status as the benchmark of the Lanzarote World Championship, retaining the provisional lead for the third consecutive day. Greece's Hermione Ghicas, the current Youth World Champion, holds on to second place, while Italy's Maria Vittoria Arseni climbs into third, confirming her steady progression in an exceptionally competitive fleet.

Reflecting on the day, Arseni highlighted the difficulty of the conditions: "The wind was very shifty and you had to constantly look for pressure, because everything could change at any moment. It was a very hard day, but I'm happy to have managed two good races."

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote day 3 - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

She also underlined the closeness of the fleet heading into the finals: "There are around ten sailors very close together in the standings, so it's going to be a really exciting battle over the next few days."

Among the local sailors, Youth World Champion Irene de Tomás finishes the qualifying series in fourth place, just four points off the podium, with Adriana Castro in fifth. Marga Perelló and María Gornés lie eighth and ninth respectively, maintaining a strong presence for the Spanish team within the world top ten.

Final series begins

The 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships, organised by Marina Rubicón, now move into the final series. Racing will resume tomorrow, Thursday, in the waters off Lanzarote, with two races scheduled from 12:00 local time.