Just three weeks until the 470 European Championship in Vilamoura
by Prow Media 11 Feb 02:59 PST
6-14 March 2026
Portugal Grand Prix at Vilamoura Sailing - Round 2 © ProwMedia
Just over three weeks remain until the first major meeting of the world's best 470 sailors in the 2026 season. From 6 to 14 March, the Portuguese sailing venue of Vilamoura will host the 470 European Championship, marking the official start of a top-level international regatta this year.
The regatta in Vilamoura is expected to attract a record number of crews, not only from Europe but from across the globe. The Championship will serve as a testing ground for the new medal series format, designed to increase the visibility and promotion of high-performance sailing and the 470 Class.
"The 470 Class is coming back to Vilamoura for the first Class Championship in 2026, after the 2021 Worlds and Europeans and the 2022 Junior Europeans. A venue offering great sailing conditions and a highly experienced organizing team is a combination for success. We are pleased to see almost 60 teams from 21 Nations, representing all 6 continents, and for the first time neutral athletes, coming to Vilamoura to compete for the European Champion title. A strong fleet, including both veterans and newcomers in their quest for Gold in 2028," says Dimitris Dimou, 470 class representative.
Defending Champions Under the Spotlight
All eyes will certainly be on Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona, who arrive in Vilamoura as defending European Champions. Xammar is a two-time European Champion. In 2024, he claimed the European title in Cannes, sailing with Nora Brugman. One year later, in Split, he successfully defended the title once again, this time with Marta Cardona, the 2025 Young World Sailor of the Year.
"We feel super good and motivated, as both the European and World Championships are special. It's going to be the first championships after a long pre-season, so we are really looking forward to it," says Jordi.
"The preparations have been good, with a very long pre-season in Weymouth in the UK. After that, we took a little bit of time off in November and December, as I had my second kid, so we had a little bit of everything. Now we came back strong in January and February in Lanzarote. It's been good. We have the feeling that we've made a massive step forward," adds Xammar.
A Truly Global Fleet
The entry list extends far beyond Europe. Crews from Australia, the United States, Brazil, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Mozambique are all set to compete in Vilamoura, promising exciting intercontinental battles on the Atlantic waters and providing the first true test of the season.
Australia will be represented by four junior crews, while Japan sees the return of experienced sailors Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki to the Olympic campaign. The Japanese pair have been training in Europe since early autumn, taking part in every available competition opportunity.
Strong European Presence and Home Advantage
France and Italy will bring the largest national contingents this year, but the home crowd will also have strong teams to support. Portuguese crews Diogo Costa with Carolina João and Beatriz Gago with Rodolfo Pires will line up on the start line, both teams highly familiar with local conditions in Vilamoura.
"We feel great. 2026 will be a big year for us, with the Europeans on "home waters". It's also an important year because we will sail for the first time in Los Angeles and have the Worlds in Japan, meaning a lot of travel and many hours on airplanes. Our sailing goals for the year are to perform well at the Europeans and Worlds," says Diogo Costa.
"It will be a challenging event, where we can expect either light south-westerly winds and chop, from the east, or northerly winds with typical offshore conditions. There are many possibilities at that time of year, and the biggest challenge will be to be prepared for everything," adds Costa.
A Perfect Start to the Season
The European Championship represents an ideal opening to the sailing season, followed by the Sailing Grand Slam, as well as preparations for the World Championship and major junior regattas.
Among the junior fleet, several hungry and proven champions from 2025 will be eager to make their mark, including the French team of Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel, reigning Junior European Champions, and the Israeli duo Roy Lavy and Ariel Gal, current Junior World Champions.
European Titles and the Kevin Burnham Trophy
The first European crew in the final official ranking of the championship will be declared "470 Class Mixed European Champion." In addition, the first crew in the overall winning will be awarded the prestigious "470 Kevin Burnham Trophy" by the International 470 Class Association. Kevin Burnham was a three-time Olympic sailor and a two-time Olympic medalist representing Team USA. He won Olympic gold at the Athens 2004 Games together with Paul Foerster and had previously won a silver medal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, sailing with Morgan Reeser.
Vilamoura: A Proven Championship Venue
Vilamoura is a well-known and highly valued venue for the 470 Class, especially remembered for the major championships held here in 2021. That year, Vilamoura hosted both the 470 World Championship and the European Championship, when the 470 Class awarded Mixed titles for the first time in history.
"We have sailed many times in Vilamoura, both in junior classes and Olympic classes. In 2019 and 2021, we also spent a few months there, so we probably know how it works. But Vilamoura is a special place that can offer a big variety of conditions," says Diogo Costa.
The Vilamoura Sailing Centre, located in the heart of the Marina de Vilamoura on Portugal's south coast, will once again host the event. The venue offers facilities, professional race management and reliable sailing conditions, making it suitable for top-level international competition across all sailing classes. With over 300 sunny days per year, steady winds and excellent infrastructure, Vilamoura has become a favourite destination for sailors from all over the world.
"To be honest, Vilamoura is one of my favourite sailing venues, especially in winter. I think it is really good. We have done important championships there in the past, like Worlds and Europeans, so yes, we are looking forward to racing again in such a good venue and hopefully winning the title again, which is the main goal, highlighted by the 2025 World Champion," added Jordi Xammar.