After a calm morning, Aarhus Bay showed its challenging side as racing got underway on Day 2 of the 2026 ILCA 4 Youth World Championship. The south-westerly breeze steadily increased throughout the afternoon, reaching an average of 25 knots by the end of the day, with gusts of up to 27–28 knots.
As a result, only one race was completed on each course area. Three boys’ fleets raced on the Alpha course, while the Bravo course hosted two girls’ fleets and one boys’ fleet.
Racing got underway first on the Alpha course, while a short delay on Bravo postponed the first start there. Meanwhile, the wind on Alpha continued to build, averaging around 20 knots with gusts reaching 25 knots.
This left the Race Committee with a difficult decision. Should the sailors on the Alpha course remain on the water until the Bravo course had completed its first race, even though the strengthening breeze made it increasingly unlikely that another race could be sailed?
“In the end, we decided to send the sailors on the Alpha course back ashore and display AP,” said Principal Race Officer Manel Llige. “The sailors on the Bravo course remained on the water for about an hour, as conditions differed significantly between the two course areas. Eventually, we had to display AP over A and call an end to the day’s racing after just one race.”
“It was a long and demanding day for everyone,” he continued. “Both the sailors and the Race Committee spent many hours on the water, and there were several difficult decisions to make throughout the day. Fortunately, the sailors have remained in good spirits, although there was some equipment damage, including a couple of broken masts and lost rudders.”
In the ILCA 4 Girls fleet, Sweden’s Adele Ramm-Ericson SWE remains in the overall lead with 6 points. There is also no change in second place, where Blanca Ferrando Babe ESP sits on 11 points. New to third place is Gabriela Mascarenhas USA.
After a first day dominated by USA sailors, who occupied the top three positions in the ILCA 4 Boys fleet, Day 2 brought a reshuffle at the top of the leaderboard. Alexander Montagu USA now leads with 4 points, while Leo Gosling SUI and Michael Akalestos GRE are tied on 6 points.
The forecast currently indicates even stronger winds for tomorrow, although from a more favorable direction. Everyone at the venue is hoping conditions will allow racing to resume and at least one race to be completed, enabling the Qualifying Series to be concluded before the Final Series begins on Friday.
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Report published by Agustín Argüelles – ILCA | Source: Aarhus International Sailing Center.