Mallorcan sailor Nikko Palou crowned ILCA 4 Under16 European Champion

The sailor from the Real Club Náutico de Palma takes gold in the Under16 category and bronze overall. His teammate, Mónica Osha, wins silver in the Under16 girls’ division.

The sailors of the Real Club Náutico de Palma have added another international success with the outstanding performance of Nikko Palou and Mónica Osha at the ILCA 4 U16 European Championship, held in the Polish town of Puck from June 18 to 25.

Nikko Palou, 14, has been crowned U16 European Champion and also claimed the bronze medal in the overall men’s ranking in a competition that brought together 278 participants and consisted of 11 races with one discard. The young Mallorcan sailor, runner-up in the Optimist European Championship in 2023, consistently sailed at the front of the fleet, winning one race and placing second and third in others.

"Today was a tough day because we had very strong winds, with gusts up to 25 knots, but these are my favorite conditions—I’m fast in heavy winds. I’m very happy with this victory because the sailors in the gold fleet were really strong," said Palou after finishing the final day.

His teammate Mónica Osha finished as runner-up in the Under16 girls’ division and placed 20th in the overall women’s ranking, which featured 165 sailors, 10 races, and one discard. Her best result in an individual race was a fifth place.

The RCNP expedition also included Raquel Conde and Vincent Krueger, both of whom qualified for the gold fleet. The team was coached by Marcos Plomer.

RCNP’s sailing representative, Hugo Ramón, stated that he doesn’t recall a year with so many international victories by the club’s sailors. “The credit goes to the hard work of the coaches and the Board’s confidence in a sporting model that combines high performance with a passion for sailing,” he said.

Palou follows in the footsteps of clubmates Tim Lubat and Sergio García, European champion and fourth place, respectively, in the ILCA 6 European Championship, while Mónica Osha continues the legacy of fellow RCNP sailor Gabriela Morell, current ILCA 6 Under17 European Champion.