After two days of racing in the Foca Bay, six races were completed in a wide variety of conditions, already ensuring the success of this 2026 World Championship, which is taking place in an ideal location for the 265 racers from 20 countries.
This 2026 World Championship is very lucky with the weather! After a week of rain and very strong winds in the Foca region, a bay located southwest of Izmir in Turkey, a high-pressure system has settled in for the week, bringing smiles back to all the participants and organizers. The resort where the event is taking place is truly ideal: a very sheltered bay, a club/village exclusively reserved for racers and their coaches/parents, large areas of grass to rig the sails, a huge beach for easy launching… it’s hard to imagine anything better. After the traditional opening ceremony, held indoors due to rain, the regatta program kicked off with three consecutive races in winds exceeding 20 knots, catching all the sailors off guard after the winter break. The most physically fit sailors quickly took the lead sailing over a short and heavy chop. On the second day, the wind, which had significantly dropped and varied in both direction and strength, shook up the previous day’s rankings. The sailors faced longer race times and more complex tactics due to the currents circulating in this wide bay dotted with islets, which also change the wind direction. Ashore, the atmosphere is very friendly, with excellent exchanges between competitors. A boat takes spectators out onto the water to watch the race up closer. Truly ideal!…
Under 13 (28 riders)
The youngest category is dominated by Hungarian Antal Körtvélyesi, who won two races. He is followed by Turkish sailor Nilda Evin, the top female finisher, who also won two races and is competing in the 5.0 m² class! Third-placed Bozok Balci finished with more points, but still sailing a 5.0 m² rig!
Under 15 Boys (36 riders)
A close battle is underway between Spaniard Joshua Castro Jurek and Frenchman Simon Pirastu, who are neck and neck after the first two days of racing. In third place, but slightly behind, is another Spaniard, Biel Martorell-Blasco.
Under 15 Girls (23 riders)
Very consistent, the reigning World Champion, Spanish Olivia Sanchez Moral, leads the category, closely followed by Italians Alessandra Porcu and Chiarra Marras.
Under 17 Boys (52 riders)
As at the last World Championships, the Greek team dominates the top category of the Championship. Leading the two-day standings, Spiros Monastiriotis was the most consistent, but he is closely followed by another Greek rider, Orestis Nikolaos Palamidis, who won two races. He is followed by Foivos Koulalis, just a few points behind. A very tight competition is announced for the podium!
Under 17 Girls (39 riders)
Obviously well trained and powerful, Mariia Tiniakova dominated the first day’s races in strong wind, winning the first two heats with a comfortable lead over her pursuers, who closed the gap in the lighter winds of the second day. Estonian Johanna Luka and Greek Kyriaki Zerva took second and third place overall, respectively.
Techno+ Boys (56 riders)
The Techno+ series is much larger than in 2025 and new sailors have emerged at the top of the rankings! Belgian Julien Omey performed exceptionally well, winning the first three races by a wide advance. The lighter winds of the second day reduced his lead over Greek Ioannou Panagiotis, who won two consecutive races. Turkish Aslan Kayhan took third place, but with a higher points total.
Techno+ Girls (25 riders)
The current World Champion, Italian Teresa Medde once again dominated the category after a consistent performance, winning 2 of the 6 races. She finished ahead of French Swane Tarcy, who tied with Greek Anna Floudopoulou. It’s worth noting that the number of competitors in Techno+ has doubled since the 2025 World Championship!
To continue following the 2026 World Championship, go to the event website where you’ll find daily results, photos, and videos, as well as live race updates via live video and trackers worn by the riders.
