The 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championships will kick off tomorrow at Marina Rubicón in Lanzarote, Spain, with the first day dedicated to registration and equipment inspection.
A fleet of 148 sailors — comprising 96 ILCA 7 men and 52 ILCA 6 women — from all seven ILCA regions across the world has assembled in the Canary Islands for a week of top-level racing, global camaraderie, and memorable on-the-water experiences.
Marina Rubicón CEO Rafael Lasso Lorenzo highlighted that “Lanzarote has established itself as one of the main international Olympic sailing centres during the winter, offering outstanding conditions for both training and competition, and serving as an inspiration for young local sailors.”
In the women’s fleet, several standout sailors will be ones to watch. These include reigning ILCA U21 European champion Ginevra Caracciolo ITA from Italy, who finished fourth at the last ILCA U21 World Championships in Ireland, as well as Maria Vitoria Arseni ITA, Isabella Mendoza Cabezas USA, Marga Perello ESP, Hermione Ghicas GRE –the reigning ILCA 6 Youth World champion– and Adriana Castro Nuñez ESP, all of whom placed in the top ten at the previous edition in Dún Laoghaire. Joining them is the newly crowned 2025 Youth Sailing World champion Irene de Tomás ESP, who will also be a strong contender for a medal.
In the men’s competition, Israeli sailors Reem Pulci Magen ISR and Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR are among the top contenders, bringing extensive experience and strong results in the ILCA 7 class. Mark Hestbæck DEN and Filip Olszewski POL, both top-ten finishers at the last ILCA U21 World Championships, are also expected to be in the fight for the medals. Additionally, reigning ILCA 6 Youth World Champion Alessandro Cirinei ITA and vice-champion Josip Tafra CRO are two more sailors to closely follow.
You can check the full entry list here.
A total of 12 races are scheduled from 19 to 24 January, culminating in the crowning of the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Champions. The event will be officially opened during the Welcome Ceremony tomorrow, Saturday, at 19:00.
The championship is organised by Club Náutico Castillo del Aguilla, the event host, in collaboration with the International Laser Class Association (ILCA).
The event is managed by Marina Rubicón and is 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://events.ilcasailing.org/site/event-site/180.
Live action featuring interviews, videos, and photos will be shared daily across ILCA’s social media channels. Follow and subscribe to stay up to date with all the latest news:
Report by Agustín Argüelles – ILCA | Photos by David Branigan – 2025 Archive.