470 and 420 Junior European Championship at Nida, Lithuania - Day 2
by International 470 Class Association 23 Jul 21:24 PDT
22-27 July 2026
All day long, athletes were waiting for the breeze to stabilise. After a long day, sailors finally launched onto the water, and the first warning signal was at 19:00 local time. After five races, the French team of Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel moved into the leading position.
"It was day two of the Europeans, quite a long day. We had a really late start at 4 o'clock local time. We also had a short postponement on shore, so it was quite difficult to keep the mental focus. Then we did two races that were very technical and physical, especially the second one when the wind picked up," said Lampis Giannoulis from Greece.
The evening sailing brought a breeze of around 10 knots and a beautiful sunset session. The first race was led by the Italians Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio, who were expected to win by a clear margin. Unfortunately, they started over the line and were scored UFD. The race was won by the Polish duo Agnieszka Pawlowska and Tomasz Lewanowski, while second place went to Amelie Wehrle and Riccardo Honold from Germany.
"The first race was lighter, and then for the second race the wind increased quite a lot, but it was a good day," commented the Brazilian sailors Saida Royo and Gabriela Vassel.
Despite the early setback, Vucetti and Bonifacio did not give up. They fought until the end with the British team Alice Davis and Oscar Cawroth. Third place went to their teammates Arwen Fflur and David Bromilow.
After five races, the French pair Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel took the lead, with only one point ahead of Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio. The German team Amelie Wehrle and Riccardo Honold are currently third, while Livia Ciampinelli and Nicola Brunnoti are fourth, only one point behind the third-placed crew. The top four teams are very close in points.
Beyond the fight for the European title, the event also marks a new beginning for some sailors. Brazilian sailors Saida Royo and Gabriela Vassel have recently moved from the 420 class into the 470, bringing their experience into a new Olympic pathway.
In Europe, it is very different. It is very cold here right now. In Brazil, it is warmer most of the year, but it is nice to experience new countries and everything around. It has been quite an improvement. We started only two months ago, so I feel there is still a lot to learn, but it has been nice sailing with the fleet, said the Brazilian crew.
Saida and I are both from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We both sailed 420s and have been in the same fleet for two or three years. After he left the 420 last year, we decided to join together and see how we could do. That is how we formed the crew.
Find out more at 2026junioreuropeans.420sailing.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall