ILCA U21 Worlds
Tough third day as ILCA Under 21 World Championships reaches halfway stage.
The switch of wind direction to offshore brought new challenges to both the Race Committee and the 212 sailors from 38 nations competing today at the 2025 ILCA Under 21 World Championships, where the full race schedule was completed, bringing the event to the halfway stage.
Following Monday’s memorable day of big seas and surfing conditions, the breeze remained fresh for Day 3, but blowing off the land created incessant wind shifts, leading to multiple race restarts. All competitors were afloat for at least five or six hours, with the ILCA 7 Men’s fleet not returning to shore until close to 6 p.m., having launched mid-morning.
Nevertheless, the scheduled series saw the ILCA Men complete their six-race qualification round to decide the Gold fleet line-up, which features a finely balanced leaderboard.
“I’m glad to have two keepers and a hard day,” said Edward Reid (AUS), who had two second places to hold the overall lead of the ILCA 7 class going into the final round. “Today was probably harder in some ways – mentally with a lot of starts and having to be focused for a long time.”
With Australians holding first and third places, the convergence of the two qualification fleets will have added significance.
“It’ll be fun racing everyone,” said Reid. “I haven’t raced Issac (Schotte AUS) yet, my good friend and fellow Australian. We live together so I’m sure it’ll be good.”
The top six boats begin the final round with just over 20 points separating them, a leaderboard that could easily be reshaped by another tricky day of forecast breeze coming down from the hills.
“I think good conditions… pretty tricky, gusty but overall with two bullets I’m quite happy for the day,” summarised Ole Schweckendiek (GER). “Now, a good rest and again a lot of wind tomorrow. I’m a bit tired but I’ll be ready for tomorrow – I have to be!”
Men’s Under-21 – Provisional Top 5
- Edward Reid AUS – 7 pt
- Ole Schweckendiek GER – 10 pt
- Isaac Schotte AUS – 11 pt
- Athanasios Kyfidis GRE – 21 pt
- Mark Hestbaek DEN – 26 pt
Men’s Under-19 – Provisional Top 5
- Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR – 32 pt
- Adamantios Petrianos GRE – 46 pt
- Bartol Jocic CRO – 53 pt
- Daniel Gimenez Mesquida ESP – 74 pt
- Narimitsu Toyozumi JPN – 74 pt
Meanwhile, the ILCA 6 Women’s event, sailing a straight series, is also at the halfway stage with six races completed and what appears to be an early runaway leader.
With three race wins under her belt and her worst counted score a fourth, Roos Wind NED has built a comfortable 19-point lead and has only discarded a seventh-place finish. Emma Mattivi ITA is the first runner-up so far, with a 12-point advantage over the chasing pack.
“For me it was a good day (but) there were big shifts and huge pressure differences; it was a day to have your eyes out of the boat but I think I did it quite well,” said Roos Wind (NED). “It’s going great so far but it’s not over and we have three days left with many races to come. I’m just going to take it day by day, race by race.”
The Dutch sailor previously competed in Dún Laoghaire at the ILCA 4 Worlds three years ago. That event featured mostly offshore winds, giving her prior experience with the tricky conditions delivered by the south-westerly breeze blowing down the Dublin Mountains and across the city.
“The big waves and surfing were just epic!” she said.
The point about switching modes, made by the leader of the 73-boat fleet, was a recurring theme for other competitors.
“Yesterday, you had to keep your head down more in the boat and work in the boat,” said Lilly Rainham CAN, ninth overall. “Today was about keeping up that physicality but also thinking outside of the boat.”
The contrast between Monday and Tuesday was stark, even though the third day still saw the breeze reach 25 knots at times.
“The conditions were… all over the place driven a lot by the land so the shifts were pretty big and the current definitely had a factor too,” she said. “It was tricky racing.”
Women’s Under-21 – Provisional Top 5
- Roos Wind NED – 9 pt
- Emma Mattivi ITA – 28 pt
- Ginevra Caracciolo Di Brienza ITA – 40 pt
- Isabella Mendoza Cabezas USA – 41 pt
- Evie Saunders AUS – 51 pt
Racing continues on Dublin Bay on Wednesday, with a midday start planned.
The 2025 ILCA Under-21 World Championship is organised by the Royal St George Yacht Club, the National Yacht Club, and ILCA, with support from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Sport Ireland, XOcean, and Rooster Sailing.
How To Follow The 2025 ILCA U21 Worlds
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: 2025ilcau21.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 Under-21 World Championships
The ILCA Under-21 World Championships is a prestigious international sailing event that showcases the next generation of elite sailors in the ILCA class. Bringing together the best young athletes from around the globe, the championship provides a vital bridge between youth competition and senior-level racing. As a proving ground for future Olympians and professional sailors, it offers rising talent the opportunity to sharpen their skills, gain invaluable international experience, and build lasting connections within the worldwide sailing community.
