470 Open European Trophy & Master's Cup 2026 - Day 2
by International 470 Class Association 16 Sep 11:06 PDT
14-19 September 2026
After a long wait ashore, the wind finally arrived on the second day of racing at the Master Cup in Portorož. The fleet spent around two hours waiting for conditions to settle before a westerly breeze of approximately 5-6 knots filled in.
From there, the wind gradually increased throughout the day, with the strongest conditions coming in the final race.
Three races were completed, bringing the total to six races in the 470 Open European Trophy & Master's Cup 2026. Julian Flessati and Stephan Ammann from Switzerland lead the overall standings, two points ahead of the Slovenian Dušan Puh and Matjaž Puh. In third are the 2025 Grand Grand Masters champions, Bernard Boime and Gilles Espinasse.
For Flessati and Ammann, who won the second race of the day, the changing conditions provided another demanding test.
"It was a beautiful day, just like yesterday. A little bit less wind than yesterday, but overall it was really nice, with the sun out and beautiful racing conditions" - said Julian Flessati.
The Swiss sailor highlighted the high level of competition throughout the fleet.
"I think the level of the competitors is pretty high, so it's always a fight until the end. You can never be sure if you're going to cross in front or not, so it's really tough to win a race here. The scoring points are changing all the time."
Flessati also has a history with the 470. He and Ammann sailed the class when they were younger before moving on to bigger boats.
"We sailed a lot on the 470 when we were young, until 2022. Then we stopped sailing the 470 and moved to some bigger boats, but we still kept the 470. It's nice to be back on the 470 from time to time" - he added.
A victory 38 years in the making
One of the most memorable moments of the day came in the opening race, when the Slovenian pair of Marko Kocijancic and Željko Planinšic took the victory. The result carried special significance on home waters. The duo were 470 Junior World Champions in Koper in 1987, and 38 years later they returned to the same waters to race together again. Now sitting in 10th place overall, the experienced Slovenians are enjoying every moment of their return to the 470.
"It's very good. We are maybe a little bit out of form, but it's super", said Planinšic when asked how it feels to be back in the 470.
The memories of their 1987 victory are still vivid.
"Just beautiful. And today is like the same wind, and we are glad. We won the first race and this is super."
Asked whether they still have a chance of fighting for the gold medal, Planinšic was characteristically realistic, but clearly still enjoying the competition.
"No, no, no. We don't have much energy. But it doesn't mean we don't want to be first."
For the two former Junior World Champions, however, the result is only part of the story. Being back in Portorož, surrounded by old friends and competitors, has made the experience particularly special.
With six races now completed, the standings remain close, and the Master Cup fleet has another day of racing ahead on the waters of Portorož.
Tomorrow's schedule includes the start of both races at 13:30. The first warning signal is scheduled for 13:30. Forecast thunderstorms are expected to pass through the area beforehand, so racing will be postponed until the weather conditions improve.
Find full results here