Jan Palou, Luca Nueschen, Mary-Anne Osha and María de Lluc Bestard will represent Spain at the major continental youth sailing championship.
DID YOU LIKE THIS CONTENT? WELL... YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR FULL PROGRAMS HERE!The Polish city of Gdynia will host the 2026 Optimist European Championship from tomorrow, 24 July. Until 31 July, almost 300 sailors from more than 40 countries will compete in an event bringing together some of the sport’s leading young talents. The organisers have scheduled a maximum of three races per day, with 12 races planned in total. At least three races must be completed for the championship to be valid, while the first discard will come into effect once five races have been sailed.
The Spanish team will feature strong representation from the Balearic Islands. Jan Palou (Real Club Náutico de Palma), Luca Nueschen (Club Nàutic S’Arenal), Mary-Anne Osha (Real Club Náutico de Palma) and María de Lluc Bestard (Real Club Náutico de Palma) will represent the islands at the championship after completing an outstanding season that earned them places on the national team.
The Balearic contingent arrives in Poland following a highly successful campaign. Jan Palou is enjoying one of the best periods of his sporting career after being crowned Spanish Cup champion and Balearic champion this year, as well as winning the Regata Fundación Ingenio, consolidating his status as one of Spain’s leading Optimist sailors.
He will be joined by Mary-Anne Osha and María de Lluc Bestard, who also delivered strong performances at the Spanish Cup, finishing sixth and seventh respectively. Those results secured their places at the European Championship with the Spanish national team.
Luca Nueschen, from Club Nàutic S’Arenal, completes a Balearic line-up that once again highlights the excellent form of the region’s youth sailing programme, whose sailors regularly feature prominently at the leading national competitions.
Just a few weeks ago, all four sailors were part of the Balearic team that successfully defended the Spanish Optimist Regional Team Championship, confirming the islands’ dominance in the class and strengthening the Spanish contingent’s ambitions ahead of the European Championship.
