San Pedro, Los Angeles, USA | August 4, 2025.
The second day of the Final series at the 2025 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships began under a light fog in the boat park, with a thicker blanket offshore over the race venue. Anticipating a delay, most sailors arrived later than usual, between 10:30 and 11:00. The coaches’ meeting took place as scheduled at 10:30, and the top three competitors in each fleet collected their leaders’ bibs.
At 11:00, the AP flag was raised onshore while everyone waited for the sea breeze to fill. Sailors spent the downtime watching videos, reviewing race photos, and socializing around the venue. Another popular BBQ, hosted by Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, kept spirits high before the racing began.
At 12:50, the Delta and tow flags went up and the fleets launched quickly, towing around the lighthouse to the course area. A short on-the-water postponement gave sailors time to study the developing breeze. Boy’s Gold fleet started first once conditions settled, followed by Silver and Girl’s Gold fleets. Slight course adjustments were made by the race committee as the sea breeze built.
The first race saw 8–10 knots of wind with half metre waves and the strongest current of the week, which caused many sailors to overstand the windward mark. After the opening set, the course was adjusted again for race two. The final race of the day was held in livelier conditions, with 12–15 knots of breeze and 1 metre chop. Multiple starting penalties were recorded across the fleets, reflecting the heightened intensity as the championship draws to a close.
All fleets completed two races before returning to shore, where sailors were welcomed with pizza from a local restaurant. With titles on the line and everything to play for, today will be the final day of racing at the 2025 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships.
Ahead of the decisive races, the standings are as follows:
Girls’ Championships leaders prior to the final day
The fight for the top spot in the Girls’ Championship remains intense as the Finals progress. Greece’s Hermione Ghicas GRE –the reigning 2025 ILCA 6 Youth European Champion– has moved into the lead with 21 points. Close behind are Ukraine’s Alina Shapovalova UKR –ILCA 6 Youth European Champion in 2024– and Dutch sailor Feline Van Ede NED –ILCA 4 Youth World Vice-Champion in 2024–, both tied at 26 points, keeping the leaderboard tightly contested.
Rebecca Mantel ISR remains in fourth with 54 points, while Gaya Datiashvili ISR takes fifth with 57 points, showing steady improvement. With every race counting, the pressure continues to mount as the sailors push toward the World title.
Provisional Top 10 – Girls’ Overall
- Hermione Ghicas GRE – 21 pt
- Alina Shapovalova UKR – 26 pt
- Feline Van Ede NED – 26 pt
- Rebecca Mantel ISR – 54 pt
- Gaya Datiashvili ISR – 57 pt
- Ainhoa Gomez ESP – 62 pt
- Sienna Wright IRL – 63 pt
- Valentina Araujo BRA – 63.6 pt
- Hanna Rogowska POL 64 pt
- Hieke Schraffordt NED – 77 pt
The battle in the Girls’ Under 17 division remains steady as the Finals continue. Chloe Turner NZL holds firm in the lead with 88 points, extending her lead over Camille Vallotton SUI, who remains second with 105 points.
Poland’s Lena Adamska POL stays in third with 139 points, while Taylor Escola USA and Mafalda Teixeira POR hold fourth and fifth with 178 and 184 points respectively. With the final races just around the corner, the pressure is mounting for these young sailors as they chase the U17 World title.
Provisional Top 5 – Girls’ Under 17
- Chloe Turner NZL – 88 pt
- Camille Vallotton SUI – 105 pt
- Lena Adamska POL – 139 pt
- Taylor Escola USA – 178 pt
- Mafalda Teixeira POR – 184 pt
Boys’ Championships leaders prior to the final day
Alessandro Cirinei ITA –recently crowned 2025 ILCA 6 Men’s World Champion in Kiel– continues to dominate the Boys’ Championship, extending his advantage to 48 points despite a challenging day. Yesterday, he posted a 29th place finish –his worst race so far– and a strong 2nd place, using the 29 as his new discard.
Ascendant Josip Tafra CRO was the best performer yesterday with scores of 2 and 6, and now holds second overall with 73 points. Under 17 leader Alexander Hartsink NED also had a strong day on the water with 11 and 5, climbing from sixth to third with 87 points. Joaquin Galvan ARG remains fourth with 93 points. Benedek Héder HUN dropped from second to fifth after scoring 16 and 44 –his new discard– yesterday, now sitting on 100 points.
Provisional Top 10 – Boys’ Overall
- Alessandro Cirinei ITA – 48 pt
- Josip Tafra CRO – 73 pt
- Alexander Hartsink NED – 87 pt
- Joaquin Galvan ARG – 93 pt
- Benedek Héder HUN – 100 pt
- Tim Lubat ESP – 101 pt
- Kutsal Gunes Kurnaz TUR – 103 pt
- Ali Ozdemir TUR 107 pt
- Erotokritos Komianos GRE – 120.3 pt
- Lorenzo Ghirotti ITA – 121 pt
The Boys’ Under 17 Championship leaderboard remains steady at the top, with Alexander Hartsink NED maintaining first place on 87 points. He now has a commanding lead of more than 30 points over Erotokritos Komianos GRE, who sits second with 120.3 points. The gap between second and third has narrowed, with Jiri Tomez CZE in third on 136 points and pushing for a podium move.
Claudio Crocco ITA remains fourth with 163.3 points, while Stefano Siebert Francavilla BRA is fifth with 166. With only two races remaining, Alexander enjoys a healthy advantage, but the gold is not yet secured and the podium fight remains wide open.
Provisional Top 5 – Boys’ Under 17
- Alexander Hartsink NED – 87 pt
- Erotokritos Komianos GRE – 120.3 pt
- Jiri Tomes CZE 136 pt – 106 pt
- Claudio Crocco ITA – 163.3 pt
- Stefano Siebert Francavilla BRA – 166 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.