The ILCA Under-21 World Championship concluded this Saturday at Marina Rubicón after six intense days of competition that once again positioned the island as one of the major international venues for Olympic sailing. The decisive day, marked by strong northerly winds and maximum technical demands, crowned the new youth world champions in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes.
The racecourse conditions forced the athletes to give their all, with winds of 15 to 18 knots. Many boats off the line caused several postponements before completing the day's program. A spectacular finish to a championship that has stood out for its equality, sporting level, and international projection.
ILCA 7: Pascali Wins in a Thrilling Finale
In the ILCA 7 men's fleet, Italian Antonio Pascali starred in one of the championship's great finales. After a decisive final race, Pascali achieved a partial victory that allowed him to climb positions and be crowned U21 world champion, ahead of Slovenia's Luka Zabukovec and Poland's Filip Olszewski, who completed the podium.
Spaniard Karol Krupski (CV Puerto Andratx), who led for several days of the World Championship, finished in a commendable fourth position, while Fernando Abella (CAR Infanta Cristina) concluded seventh, confirming the excellent performance of the Spanish team in a championship of enormous demands.
In the under-19 category, Italian **Alessandro Cirinei** took gold, with Spaniards Tim Lubat and Sergio García winning silver and bronze, respectively.
ILCA 6: Caracciolo confirms his dominance and Adriana Castro climbs to the podium
In the ILCA 6 women's fleet, Italy's **Ginevra Caracciolo** confirmed the dominance shown throughout the week and was crowned U21 world champion. Greece's **Hermione Ghicas** took second place, while bronze went to Spain's Adriana Castro, who put in a very solid performance on the final day to secure her spot on the world podium
Lanzarote: An Unparalleled Regatta Course
Bernardo Salom, vice president of the Royal Canary Sailing Federation, highlighted the championship's level and its impact on Canary sailing: "We have experienced a World Championship of the highest level, with very competitive fleets and conditions that demanded the best from each sailor. For the Canary Islands, it is a source of pride to host an event of this magnitude and to continue demonstrating that we have a top-tier race course and proven organizational capacity."For his part, Ángel Lago, councilor for Sports of the Yaiza City Council, highlighted the local impact of the event: "This World Cup once again places Yaiza and Playa Blanca on the international sports map. We are not only talking about competition, but also about economic activity, external promotion, and an image of a municipality linked to the sea and quality sports.""Events like this ILCA U21 World Championship reinforce Lanzarote's positioning as an international sports destination and as a key location in the development of young talent within the Olympic cycle. It is a clear commitment to grassroots sports and to the sustainable promotion of the island," stated the Minister of Sports of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Juan Monzón.Finally, Rafael Lasso Lorenzo, CEO of Marina Rubicón, spoke very positively about the championship's development, "We are very satisfied with the World Championship's outcome, both from a sporting and organizational perspective. During these weeks, Marina Rubicón and Lanzarote have been home to the world's best young sailors, and that reinforces our commitment to sailing, to youth, and to continuing to support top-level international events."
With the trophy award ceremony held at Oasis Marina Bay, the ILCA U21 World Championship concluded a week that consolidates Lanzarote as a benchmark destination for Olympic sailing and paves the way for the next major events on the international calendar. Specifically, the Lanzarote International Regatta and the Lanzarote iQFOiL Games 2026.
This event is organized by Marina Rubicón and is sponsored by the Cabildo de Lanzarote through the Insular Sports Service, SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote through its sports tourism product “Lanzarote Sports Destination”, the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Yaiza City Council and Turismo de Islas Canarias; with the collaboration, among others, of the Canary Islands Sailing Federation, DinghyCoach and the Latin Sailing federations.