CVPA sailor Karol Krupski leads the ILCA 7 U21 World Championship

The 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Championship, being held in Lanzarote, has brought together 148 sailors from different countries. Among them, seven represent the following Balearic sailing clubs: Tim Lubat, Sergio García, Gabriela Morell and Marga Perelló from the Real Club Náutico de Palma; Daniel Giménez and Karol Krupski from the Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx; and Maria Gornés from Club Nàutic Ciutadella.

After two days of competition, Mallorcan sailor Karol Krupski, from the Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, leads the overall standings of the ILCA 7 Under-21 World Championship, establishing himself as one of the standout sailors at the start of the event.

The second day was marked by highly changeable and demanding weather conditions. The unpredictable and fickle wind tested the adaptability of both the sailors and the Race Committee, which worked tirelessly to ensure fair racing at all times.

The fleet went afloat as scheduled at 10:45 a.m., with an initial northerly breeze of 10 to 12 knots from 025°. However, it soon became clear that the day would be challenging, with constant and abrupt wind shifts dominating the racecourse.

At 12:30 p.m., the third race for the men’s ILCA 7 Yellow and Blue fleets was successfully completed. Shortly afterwards, further starts were attempted, but conditions worsened: the wind began to oscillate dramatically between 340° and 060°, with variable strengths ranging from 6 to 12 knots. This instability forced the Race Committee to postpone the women’s ILCA 6 races several times while searching for a more stable setup.

Around midday, general recalls and postponements followed one another for the women, while the men’s fleets managed to complete the scheduled program. A brief increase in wind to 12–16 knots around 1:04 p.m. raised expectations of continuity, but new shifts of up to 30 degrees required constant course adjustments, briefly stabilizing the direction around 330–340°.

Finally, at 2:00 p.m., the women’s fleet was able to make a clean start and begin the third race. At the same time, the race management team continued to contend with strong currents and numerous premature starts, which delayed the start of the fourth men’s race, particularly for the second group.

At 2:45 p.m., the women’s ILCA 6 fleet successfully completed its third race, while the first men’s group finished the fourth race. However, persistent instability once again slowed the progress of the event, preventing the second ILCA 7 group from starting immediately.

The championship consists of a total of 12 races, to be held from January 19th to the 24th, and will conclude with the crowning of the 2026 ILCA Under-21 World Champions.

The event is organized by Marina Rubicón and is sponsored by the Cabildo of Lanzarote through the Island Sports Service; SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote under the Lanzarote Sports Destination brand; the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of the Cabildo of Lanzarote; the Yaiza Town Council; and Turismo de Islas Canarias, with the collaboration of the Canary Islands Sailing Federation, DinghyCoach, and the Latin sailing federations, among other entities.