Unpredictable, shifty and at times frustrating, the conditions on Day 2 of the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships in Lanzarote delivered a true test of adaptability. With the wind refusing to settle, sailors were pushed to their limits as the Race Committee worked tirelessly to deliver fair racing.
Day 2 of the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships in Lanzarote proved to be one of patience and perseverance as competitors and race officials battled highly unstable wind conditions throughout the day.
The fleet launched on schedule at 10:45, with an initial northerly breeze of 10–12 knots from 025°. However, it quickly became apparent that the conditions would be challenging, with extreme wind shifts dominating the race area.
By 12:30, Race 3 for the ILCA 7 Men’s Yellow and Blue fleets was completed successfully. Shortly afterwards, attempts were made to start further races, but the wind became increasingly unpredictable, swinging dramatically between 340° and 060°. With the breeze fluctuating between 6 and 12 knots and shifting rapidly, the Race Committee was forced to postpone the ILCA 6 Women’s fleet multiple times while attempting to find a stable configuration.
As midday passed, general recalls and postponements continued for the women, while the men’s fleets managed to complete their scheduled races. The wind briefly strengthened to 12–16 knots around 13:04, raising hopes of progress, but further significant shifts of up to 30 degrees required repeated course adjustments, with the wind settling temporarily around 330–340°.
Finally, at 14:00, the women’s fleet achieved a clean start and Race 3 got underway. Meanwhile, the race team continued to wrestle with strong current and persistent over-early boats, which delayed the start of Men’s Race 4, particularly for the second group.
By 14:45, the ILCA 6 Women successfully completed Race 3, and the first group of men finished Race 4. However, ongoing instability once again halted proceedings, preventing the second men’s group from starting immediately.
Racing resumed later in the afternoon. At 15:15, the Men’s Blue fleet finally achieved a clean start for Race 4, followed by another general recall for the women. Persistence paid off, and at 15:30, the ILCA 6 Women’s fleet got away cleanly for the final race of the day.
By 16:30, all fleets had returned safely to shore, bringing a long and demanding day to a close. Despite the difficulties, valuable races were completed, and both sailors and officials demonstrated resilience in exceptionally tricky Lanzarote conditions.
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Hermione Ghicas described the day as a real test of patience and composure:
“Today was extremely long because we waited a lot of hours to get our first race done, with many general recalls. And it was really stressful because it was general recalls with black flag, so that means that you have to be really, like careful on the side. So it was quite stressful for me. I tried to play it safe because it’s only the second day, and we waited again for the second race.
The competition is really high. It’s really tough competition, but it’s quite exciting, exciting because we’re all quite close with the points.”
Racing in Lanzarote for the first time, Ghicas also highlighted the unique characteristics of the venue and her approach for the remainder of the championship:
“This is the first time I’m racing here in Lanzarote. It’s really nice. I mean, there’s wind every day, and even know it’s offshore wind, which I don’t like that much, I like it here because there are some waves and, like, there’s, there are opportunities to be good on the mark. So I would say it’s really interesting place. And it’s January, and we’re with jackets, so I’m, I’m happy with this place.
My plan is to stay consistent, do good races, and not make big mistakes, at least until the fifth day. That’s my plan. And then I’m gonna see if I’m gonna do something else if I’m in the medals. But now, for now, I’m just trying to stay consistent and not make many errors,” said Ghicas after racing.
With all four scheduled races now completed, the following sailors lead the standings across the three championships:
Provisional results – ILCA 6 Women U21
- Ginevra Caracciolo ITA 4 pt
- Hermione Ghicas GRE 7 pt
- Irene de Tomas ESP 12 pt
- Alina Shapovalova UKR 17 pt
- Maria Vittoria Arseni ITA 17 pt
Provisional results – ILCA 7 Men U21
- Karol Krupski Teterycz ESP 4 pt
- Luka Zabukovec SLO 8 pt
- Fernando Abella ESP 9 pt
- Adamantios Petrianos GRE 12 pt
- Mark Hestbæck DEN 14 pt
Provisional results – ILCA 7 Men U19
- Alessandro Cirinei ITA 21 pt
- Kutsal Gunes Kurnaz TUR 28 pt
- Diego Ewinger ANT 33 pt
- Sergio Garcia Garrido ESP 34 pt
- Federico Cittadini ITA 37 pt
A total of 12 races are scheduled from 19 to 24 January, culminating in the crowning of the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Champions.
A fleet of 148 sailors — comprising 96 ILCA 7 men and 52 ILCA 6 women — from all seven ILCA regions around the world has gathered in the Canary Islands for a week of top-level racing, international camaraderie, and memorable on-the-water experiences.
The championship is organised by Marina Rubicón and sponsored by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, through the Island Sports Service; SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, through its sports tourism brand Lanzarote Sports Destination; the Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism of the Cabildo of Lanzarote; the Town Council of Yaiza; and Tourism of the Canary Islands, with the collaboration, among others, of the Canary Islands Sailing Federation, DinghyCoach and the Latin Sailing federations.
How to follow the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships
Daily reports, including links to results and photos, will be published on ilcasailing.org. Full event information is also available on the official event website: https://2026ilcau21.ilca-worlds.org/
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Report by Agustín Argüelles – ILCA | Photos by Jesus Renedo – Sailing Energy.