Balearic sailing shines at the ILCA Under-21 World Championship in Lanzarote

Lubat and García, from Real Club Náutico de Palma, claimed silver and bronze respectively in the men’s under-19 category, while Karol Krupski, from Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, secured fourth place in the men’s under-21 category.

The ILCA Under-21 World Championship came to an end on Saturday, January 24th, at Marina Rubicón in Lanzarote, with a demanding final day marked by strong northerly winds and maximum excitement. The event left a very positive overall assessment for the Spanish team and, in particular, for the sailors involved in the Spanish Sailing Federation’s (RFEV) pre-Olympic programme, as part of the roadmap towards Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

After six days of high-level racing, Spain closed the championship with a bronze medal in women’s ILCA 6, two fourth-place finishes in ILCA 7 and ILCA 6, and two medals in the under-19 category, confirming the excellent moment Spanish dinghy sailing is experiencing during the transition from youth sailing to elite performance.

The Canary Islands racecourse once again demanded the maximum from the sailors on the final day, with highly shifty northerly winds and gusts of between 15 and 18 knots. The instability forced the race committee to issue several postponements before the decisive races could be completed, in conditions that tested the sailors’ tactical maturity and pressure management—key elements in the development of the pre-Olympic team.

The men’s ILCA 7 Gold Fleet experienced one of the tightest finishes of the championship. RFEV pre-Olympic team sailor Karol Krupski, from Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, who had led the standings for several days, eventually finished in an excellent fourth place worldwide, just shy of the podium, after a very demanding final day.

The title went to Italy’s Antonio Pascali, followed by Slovenia’s Luka Zabukovec and Poland’s Filip Olszewski.

Krupski, who previously won the under-19 World Championship silver medal in Ireland, delivered a result that confirms his international progression and consolidation within the RFEV’s ILCA 7 working group. Fernando Abella (CAR Infanta Cristina) also stood out, finishing seventh, with as many as five RFEV sailors among the top 15, clear evidence of the depth and competitiveness of the national team.

In the men’s under-19 category, Spain returned to the podium thanks to Tim Lubat, from Real Club Náutico de Palma, who won world silver, and Sergio García, also from the same club, who took bronze, reinforcing the excellent grassroots work and talent identification system.

In women’s ILCA 6, RFEV pre-Olympic team sailor Adriana Castro (RCN Torrevieja) completed a great week of racing in which she clearly improved day by day, ultimately claiming the Under-21 World Championship bronze medal and rounding off a solid progression throughout the event.

Castro managed the pressure well on the final day, with a fifth place in the first race of the day and a well-controlled decisive race, securing her place on the podium.

“Today was quite, quite a complicated day again. The truth is that we were all fighting for something, so it was very tight, but more or less we managed to get through it, although there were some tense moments. I’m very happy, and above all proud of having enjoyed the racing the way I did, and of proving to myself that I could do it. The start wasn’t the best, but I found my rhythm as the week went on and sailed very well in the last few days. This bronze medal feels really good because there’s a lot of work behind it,” said the sailor from Alicante.

Gold went to Italy’s Ginevra Caracciolo, while silver was claimed by Greece’s Hermione Ghicas.

Finishing very close to the podium was Irene de Tomás (RCN Valencia), in fourth place, confirming the high overall level of the Spanish women’s team. Meanwhile, RCN Palma sailors and members of the RFEV 2032 team María Gornés and Marga Perelló finished 16th and 19th respectively.

From the RFEV, the overall assessment of the ILCA Under-21 World Championship is very positive. The results achieved in Lanzarote reflect the effectiveness of the federation’s working model, which focuses on progressive training, continuous technical support and early exposure to the highest level of international competition.

Adriana Castro’s medal, the fourth-place finishes of Karol Krupski and Irene de Tomás, Fernando Abella’s Top 10 result and the successes in the under-19 category consolidate Spain as one of the emerging powers in this highly competitive class and strengthen the foundations on which future Olympic teams are being built.

The pre-Olympic team of the Spanish Sailing Federation is funded by the Higher Sports Council, the Spanish Olympic Committee and Universo Mujer, and sponsored by Iberdrola, Quirónprevención and the Government of Cantabria. Official suppliers include Azul Marino, Murimar Seguros, Nippon Express, Marinepool and Enovis.