Ora Cup Ora 2026 at Circolo Vela Arco - Day 2
by Elena Giolai 10 Aug 03:38 PDT
8-10 August 2026
Three more races were completed in a southerly breeze of around 13 to 14 knots. Italy's Valerio Pucci scored three wins and moved into the lead in Cadet Division B.
In Junior Division A, Slovenia's Mihael Zobec finishes the qualifying series at the top of the standings, while Italy's Annalie Meoni is fifth overall and first female. On Monday, the top 123 Juniors will race in the Gold Fleet.
Three more races were completed for all fleets, with a steady southerly breeze of around 13 to 14 knots, as Garda Trentino once again provided ideal conditions for Ora Cup Ora 2026, organized by Circolo Vela Arco under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation.
After two days, six races have now been sailed in an event that, with almost 600 children and young sailors from 44 nations, once again confirms its double identity, a major international regatta and a true celebration of youth sailing.
A celebration of sailing, but also of people from around the world. Ashore, teams and families continue to meet and share experiences, with sailors and coaches exchanging their club pennants with Circolo Vela Arco, a small tradition that perfectly reflects the international spirit of the event and the atmosphere surrounding Garda Trentino during these days.
And then there is the celebration itself, the part that immediately reminds everyone just how young the sailors really are. On the water, wearing sunglasses, caps, helmets and full technical gear, they look like highly experienced skippers, fully focused on the start and on gaining every possible metre. But once back ashore, they are simply boys and girls aged between 9 and 14. The excitement surrounding the much anticipated Ora Cup Ora lottery, traditionally one of the most popular moments of the event, is the perfect reminder.
Behind this spectacular show is also a considerable organizational effort. With four Junior Division A qualifying fleets and one Cadet fleet, the Race Committee manages 15 starts every day in order to complete three races for each group. The finishes are equally demanding, with around 1,800 sail numbers recorded over the course of the day, considering almost 600 competitors racing three times. This is combined with the work of the Protest Committee, particularly intense at an event of this size.
Cadets, three wins and the overall lead for Italy's Valerio Pucci
The second day completely reshaped the standings in Cadet Division B, with 98 competitors. Italy's Valerio Pucci of Club Nautico Marina di Carrara, seventh after the opening three races, produced a perfect Sunday by winning all three races sailed during the day. With the discard coming into play after the sixth race, Italy's Valerio Pucci moved into the lead on 17 net points, tied with Switzerland's Carlo Milan, the Day 1 leader, who is now second on countback. Third and fourth remain unchanged, with Belgium's Maxime Glorie Farrerons third on 24 points and the United States' Arthur Yepes fourth on 27. Spain's Borja Morro completes the top five. Among the girls, Turkey's Ayla Karagulle leads in sixth overall, ahead of Hong Kong's Jiahe Liu, eighth overall, and Cyprus' Kira Tsaruk, ninth.
Juniors, Slovenia's Zobec leads after qualifying, Italy's Meoni fifth overall
The picture is now complete in Junior Division A, the largest Ora Cup Ora fleet with 491 competitors. After six races and with one discard applied, the provisional standings are led by Slovenia's Mihael Zobec on 12 net points. The United States' Briggs Kossmann follows on 13 points, with the Netherlands' Hidde Wismeijer third on 16. Singapore's Kevin Ho is fourth on 17 points. Italy's Annalie Meoni is one of the standout performers of the qualifying series, finishing fifth overall on 20 net points. She is the leading Italian in the overall standings and also tops the female ranking. Behind her among the girls are Ukraine's Ahnieshka Madonich, eighth overall, and Switzerland's Lou Eisenhut, eleventh overall.
Brazil's Helena Echenique is fourth female and twelfth overall. Among the other leading Italians, Italy's Roman Vyevyenko is seventeenth overall, Italy's Raffaele Nugnes twentieth and Italy's Leonardo Orlandini twenty-first. The six qualifying races have now determined the fleet allocation for the final day. On Monday, August 10, the top 123 Juniors will race in the Gold Fleet, going head to head for the leading positions in Ora Cup Ora 2026, while the remaining competitors will be divided into the other final fleets. The Cadets will continue their series in a single fleet.
Garda Trentino is now ready for the final day of an event that continues to bring together two images that may seem very different at first, almost 600 small sails racing with total concentration on the water, and those same young sailors back ashore, playing, meeting new friends, exchanging club pennants and eagerly waiting for their number to be called in the lottery. This too is the spirit of Ora Cup Ora.