San Pedro, Los Angeles, USA | July 31, 2025.
Racing officially got underway yesterday at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championship, with eager sailors arriving early at Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, full of anticipation for the first day of competition.
The day began at 10:30 with a coaches meeting, where the organising authorities outlined the plan for the day and addressed the previous evening’s tsunami advisory. In coordination with the National Weather Service and local authorities, both the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and the ILCA Association closely monitored conditions throughout the morning. Following thorough assessment, it was deemed safe to proceed. The safety of all participants remains paramount, both on and off the water.
As sailors prepared to launch, thick cloud cover and a lack of breeze delayed the expected arrival of the sea breeze, prompting a land postponement at 11:55. During the delay, sailors took the opportunity to socialise and stay relaxed onshore, awaiting further updates.
At approximately 12:45, the Race Committee released sailors onto the water in hopes that conditions would soon improve. The first warning signal was scheduled for 13:00, but with wind conditions still proving unreliable, an on-the-water postponement followed.
Fortunately, by mid-afternoon the sea breeze filled in steadily, settling at 10–12 knots with gusts reaching 15. Racing finally commenced, though the intensity of the competition was immediately apparent. Multiple general recalls in both fleets reflected the sailors’ eagerness and competitive drive on the opening day.
Despite the staggered starts and minor delays, both fleets successfully completed two races each before the afternoon drew to a close. The breeze and wave patterns eventually aligned with classic Cabrillo Beach conditions, offering a promising outlook for the week ahead.
Upon returning to shore, sailors were treated to a warm pasta dinner generously provided by a local restaurant — a welcome reward after a full and eventful first day on the water.
With Day 1 now in the books, attention turns to the early frontrunners across the four championships. Here’s a look at the provisional leaders after the opening two races:
Girls’ Championships leaders after Day 1
With 81 sailors split into two groups, the first day on the water was dominated by Alina Shapovalova UKR –ILCA 6 Youth European Champion in 2024– and Feline Van Ede NED –ILCA 4 Youth World Vice-Champion in 2024–. Both sailors claimed back-to-back wins in their respective fleets and now share the overall lead with a perfect score of 2 points.
Third place overall goes to Hermione Ghicas GRE –the reigning 2025 ILCA 6 Youth European Champion– who delivered two consistent second-place finishes.
Provisional Top 5 – Girls’ Overall
- Alina Shapovalova UKR 2 pt
- Feline Van Ede NED 2 pt
- Hermione Ghicas GRE 4 pt
- Marion Grace Montgomery THA 5 pt
- Hannah Rogowska POL 6 pt
The Girls’ Under 17 Championship is currently led by Camille Vallotton SUI with 12 points, placing her 8th overall. She is followed by Mafalda Teixeira POR and Lena Adamska POL, who sit 17th and 19th overall with 19 and 24 points respectively.
Provisional Top 5 – Girls’ Under 17
- Camille Vallotton SUI 12 pt
- Mafalda Teixeira POR 19 pt
- Lena Adamska POL 24 pt
- Taylor Escola USA 24 pt
- Daniella Cheng-Sun USA 25 pt
Boys’ Championships leaders after Day 1
With 140 sailors also split into two groups, both the overall and Under 17 championships are currently led by Stefano Siebert Francavilla BRA with 5 points.
Second and third place overall go to Spanish sailors Sergio Garcia Garrido ESP and Tim Lubat ESP –the reigning 2025 ILCA 6 Youth European Champion– with 8 and 11 points respectively.
Provisional Top 5 – Boys’ Overall
- Stefano Siebert Francavilla BRA 5 pt
- Sergio Garcia Garrido ESP 8 pt
- Tim Lubat ESP 11 pt
- Alessandro Cirinei ITA 15 pt
- Kuzey Karis POR 15 pt
Toma Smircic CRO and Erotokritos Komianos GRE complete the provisional U17 podium in 8th and 10th places overall, respectively.
Provisional Top 5 – Boys’ Under 17
- Stefano Siebert Francavilla BRA 5 pt
- Toma Smircic CRO 17 pt
- Erotokritos Komianos GRE 19 pt
- Alexander Hartsink NED 25 pt
- Genki Kahara JPN 25 pt
How to follow the 2025 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships
We’ll be publishing a daily report with links to results and photos at ilcasailing.org. You can find all information about the competition on the event website: https://2025ilca6youth.ilca-worlds.org/. Live action with interviews, videos, and pictures will also be posted daily across ILCA’s social media channels. We encourage you to follow and subscribe to stay instantly notified about the latest updates:
About ILCA 6 Youth World Championships
The ILCA 6 Youth World Championships is a premier international sailing event that brings together the world’s top youth sailors to compete at an elite level in the ILCA 6 class. Often a key stepping stone toward Olympic and professional sailing, the championship offers a high-performance platform for rising talent to test their skills, gain international experience, and forge lasting connections within the global sailing community.
Report by Agustín Argüelles – ILCA / Source: Annie Samis | Photos by Simone Staff – Seaster Media.