49er, 49erFX, FX Open and Nacra 17 Junior World Championship 2026 in Medemblik - Day 3
by Alexia Lahoud 23 Jul 14:08 PDT
19-26 July 2026
49er, 49er Fx and Nacra 17 Junior World Championships Day 3 © Klaas Wiersma
The running order flipped today, with the 49er fleet first off the line, yellow and blue groups both racing from 11:00. The wind was still up, just not quite as strong as day one, and once again every fleet got its full three races in without a hitch. Conditions stayed lively out on the water, with teams needing sharp technique to handle the famous Medemblik chop upwind and the strength to hang on through the downwinds.
One theme is already standing out after two days of racing. In three of the four fleets, the current podium is held by two teams from the same national squad, a reminder that sailing is every bit a relative sport and that a great training partner can matter as much as raw talent.
Italy's Lorenzo Pezzilli and Tobia Torroni (ITA 75) continued their impressive run atop the 49er fleet, finishing inside the top three in all six races sailed so far. The pair were among the top Junior age teams at the recent Senior European Championship, where they finished tenth overall, and on this evidence they are the team to beat in Medemblik.
The one question mark is the forecast, tomorrow is expected to be lighter, and this crew has looked like they prefer it windy, so it will be worth watching whether the calmer air lets someone else in.
They are chased by two German crews. Simon Heindl and Conrad Jacobs (GER 21) sit second, the only other two digit sail number in the fleet, having sailed into the gold fleet at the Senior Worlds in both 2025 and 2026. Right behind them in third are last year's world champions, Kjell Haschen and Iven Anton Fromm (GER 182), who put together a real comeback today, discarding yesterday's UFD from race two.
Switzerland's Pablo Rüegge also had a big day, moving up to fourth with Finn Meichle. Rüegge sailed with Linus previously and finished fourth at the Junior Worlds in Copenhagen last year, and he is hoping this new partnership with Meichle can go one better and get them onto the podium. The pair train regularly alongside their senior Swiss teammates Seb Scheinter and Arno De Planta, as well as Josh Richner and Nilo Schärer, and that experience is clearly starting to show. Canada's Thomas and William Staples (CAN 428) round out the top five.
The 49erFX fleet went out next, and Poland is still running the show. Klara Sobczak and Magdalena Skórnóg (POL 280) lead, with Ewa Lewandowska and Anna Zwara (POL 771) right behind them in second, the same order as day one. Lewandowska is no ordinary competitor to have chasing you around a racecourse, she became winner of the Rolex Young World Sailor of the Year award in 2024. Manase Ichihashi and Rinko Goto of Japan (JPN 717) move into third overall, and they currently hold the lowest discard of any team in the fleet, a sign of just how consistent their racing has been.
In the FX Open fleet, the top three held firm from yesterday. Switzerland's Henri Rothacher and Noah Strempfer (SUI 434) remain in front, with Samantha Gardner and Noah Nyenhuis of the United States (USA 49) second and Germany's Hanno Rix and Maximilian Reuner (GER 171) third.
The Nacra 17 fleet produced the tightest racing of the day, and it turned into a proper battle between Italian training partners. Federico Figlia di Granara and Caterina Sedmak (ITA 46) lead the way with a scoreline of nearly all firsts and seconds, save for one blip in yesterday's racing. Their training partners and closest challengers, Arto Hirsch and Sofia Borgia (ITA 76), are hot on their heels in second, with Switzerland's Andrea Aschieri and Tine Rossel (SUI 370) third. France's Clement Martineau and Eloïse Clabon (FRA 44) sit fourth and Spain's Daniel Garcia and Nora Garcia (ESP 591) fifth.
Sixth placed Lorenzo Sirena and Flavia Maltagliati (ITA 437) have a story of their own today. It is Lorenzo's birthday, and he happens to be the son of Massimiliano Sirena, the team director and CEO of Luna Rossa's America's Cup campaign. Lorenzo and Flavia are a brand new pairing in the Nacra 17 fleet, and sitting sixth ahead of several crews who have been sailing the boat for years is a strong start for two sailors just getting going in the class.
Racing resumes tomorrow at 11:00, with the 49er fleet out first once again for what is also the final day of their preliminary series. After tomorrow's three races, the top twenty five boats move into the gold fleet, with the rest continuing in silver for the remainder of the week. The other fleets keep racing as a single group all the way through to Sunday. The forecast is calling for noticeably lighter air tomorrow, which could easily shuffle the order at the top.
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