29er World Championships
Day 3 of the 2025 29er World Championships in Porto got off to a delayed start, but what a turnaround it turned out to be. With the sun baking the historic hillsides of Porto and the Douro River glistening under blue skies, a slow morning quickly transformed into an action-packed afternoon afternoon of world-class racing.
Two courses were in play, with Course A offering a front-row seat for spectators who lined the harbour wall, treated to spectacular racing framed by the beautiful backdrop of Porto’s town.
A slow start saw the fleets dealing with a big Atlantic swell and light early breeze, making it tricky to hold the start line. General recalls and BFDs piled up before the long-awaited sea breeze finally filled in around 13:30. From there, conditions steadily built — each race windier than the last — giving the 29er fleet exactly what they came for. All four fleets — Yellow, Blue, Red, and Green — completed four races each in what ended up being near-perfect conditions, though a challenge for some of the lighter teams downwind.
Hungarians Hold the Lead
The team of Soma Kis-Szölgyémi and András Juhász from Hungary continue to dominate overall, holding onto the top spot after a stellar day in the Yellow fleet with scores of 3-2-1-4. Their second race saw a spectacular showdown with French team Jocelyn Le Goff and Jules Vidor, who edged them out in the final downwind leg with superior boat speed and flawless manoeuvres. The sportsmanship shone through on shore, where the two teams rewatched the drone footage together — laughing, learning, and celebrating what sailing is all about.
France’s Le Goff and Vidor are now sitting in 3rd overall, climbing the ranks with consistency and speed.
Swedish duo Selma Hård and Lukas Wolfgang were another highlight in the Yellow fleet, finishing third in three of the four races. “We were a bit lucky,” they admitted modestly, but after the port start, they just showed the fleet who was in command. With this being their last regatta together, the pair is savoring the moment before they move on to senior fleet racing in the 49er and 49erFX.
Blue Fleet Brilliance from Norway
Nicklas Holt and Philip Forslund of Norway stole the spotlight in the Blue fleet with a powerful 2-2-1-1 scoreline. They narrowly missed out on a clean sweep and expressed some frustration over that, but their sailing was strong, and they now sit in 2nd place overall — firmly in contention.
Red Fleet: Italian Consistency
It’s been a masterclass in consistency from Italy’s Giuseppe Montesano and Enrico Coslovich, who are dominating the Red fleet with top-3 scores throughout the event so far. Their only blemish today was a 5th place finish in Race 4, which becomes their discard — a testament to how solid their performance has been.
Green Fleet: Mixed and Youth Teams Shine
The Green fleet saw a standout performance from Argentina’s Olivia Riesgo and Martin Díaz Tamayo, who secured a bullet in Race 2 and currently lead the mixed team rankings and sit in 7th overall — making them the only non-European team in the top 10.
Leading the charge for the all-female teams are Italy’s Bianca Marchesini and Lucia Finato, who are not only the top female team but also lead the Under-17 category and hold 14th overall in the full fleet — a promising young duo to watch.
Looking Ahead: Final Series Begins Tomorrow
With the Qualifying Series now complete, the stage is set for the Final Series. The top 50 boats move on to compete in the Gold Fleet, while the rest of the fleet will be divided into Silver, Bronze, and Emerald fleets for the remainder of the championship.
After two light-wind days and no racing on Day 2, today’s classic Porto sea breeze gave the fleet a much-needed test — and they delivered. With the championship heating up and the top of the leaderboard tightening, all eyes are now on the Gold Fleet as the battle for the world title intensifies.
