ILCA Under 21 World Championships 2026 in Lanzarote

ILCA Under 21 World Championships 2026 in Lanzarote - Overall

by Agustín Argüelles 24 Jan 21:11 PST 19-24 January 2026

Italy dominates with gold in all three events

Italy's sailors delivered a stellar performance at the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships, claiming gold in all three categories: ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and Under-19. The final day of racing in Lanzarote saw thrilling finishes, with the Italian team securing top honours in a week of intense competition and challenging conditions.

The 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championship came to a thrilling conclusion this Saturday at Marina Rubicón, Lanzarote, with a final day of racing filled with excitement and strong winds. The event crowned the new World Champions after a week of high-demand racing.

The racecourse once again tested the athletes to their limits, with highly variable north winds at the start of the day, ranging from 15 to 18 knots. The instability caused multiple postponements and false starts before the race committee was able to get valid starts under way.

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote day 6 - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

ILCA 7: Pascali Claims Victory After Dramatic Turnaround

The Men's ILCA 7 gold fleet managed to start the penultimate race of the championship just after 11:30 local time. In the first race of the day, Israeli sailor Omer Vered ISR claimed victory, having an outstanding day with a first and second place finish.

Spain's Karol Krupski ESP, who had led the World Championship for several days, finished 38th in the first race — a result he could discard, but it left him with little chance of winning the title, making the overall standings wide open ahead of the final race.

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote day 6 - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

The decisive race, held under black flag after several general recalls, produced a dramatic conclusion. As the wind weakened at times, the standings underwent a final shake-up. Italy's Antonio Pascali ITA, who was fourth overall heading into the final race, took victory in the race and was crowned the 2026 ILCA 7 Under-21 World Champion. Slovenia's Luka Zabukovec SLO finished second, while Poland's Filip Olszewski POL completed the podium, clinching third place with a brilliant win in the final race, which saw him rise two places in the overall standings.

"I fought until the very end, following the plan I made with my coach: never give up, because we knew it was going to be close." - Antonio Pascali ITA.

A visibly emotional Pascali celebrated his title: "It's an incredible feeling. I fought until the very end, following the plan I made with my coach: never give up, because we knew it was going to be close. This is one of the most important wins of my career. It's been a very demanding week, and everything came down to the final race, where I gave it absolutely everything. This title is also the result of the hard work of my team, the constant support of my teammates, and especially my family."

In the Under-19 category, fellow Italian Alessandro Cirinei ITA claimed the gold, while Spain's Tim Lubat ESP and Sergio García ESP took silver and bronze, respectively.

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote prize giving - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

ILCA 6: Caracciolo Wins Gold, Ghicas and Castro Take Silver and Bronze

In the Women's ILCA 6 fleet, the final day confirmed what had been clear throughout the week. Italy's Ginevra Caracciolo ITA kept her composure and secured the Under-21 World Championship title, with no changes at the top of the overall standings.

The Silver medal went to Greece's Hermione Ghicas GRE, while Spain's Adriana Castro ESP claimed the bronze after a very solid final day. Castro finished fifth in the first race of the day and sailed intelligently in the final race to ensure her place on the podium.

ILCA Under 21 World Championships in Lanzarote day 6 - photo © SAILING ENERGY / Lanzarote Sailing Center

Caracciolo, emotional after crossing the finish line, admitted: "I'm so excited. It's been a really tough week here in Lanzarote, with very demanding conditions and a high level in the fleet, but I managed to keep my focus and sail calmly. After three years finishing fourth, I've finally made it to the podium and brought home a medal. I came here hoping for a medal, regardless of the colour, and winning gold is something very special."

"After three years finishing fourth, I've finally made it to the podium and brought home a medal." - Ginevra Caracciolo ITA.

For her part, Adriana Castro reflected on her bronze: "Today was quite a complicated day again. We were all fighting for something, and everything was really tight, but I managed to pull through. I'm really happy and, above all, proud of how I enjoyed the racing and proved to myself that I could do it. The start wasn't the best, but I found my rhythm throughout the week and sailed really well in the final days. This bronze feels amazing because there's so much hard work behind it."

With the final two races completed, the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships wrapped up six intense days of competition at Marina Rubicón. The prize-giving ceremony, held at 18:00 local time at Oasis Marina Bay, brought the championship to a close, further cementing Lanzarote's place as one of the key international venues for Olympic sailing.